A Reader Responds

For those of you who don't read responses to my entries, allow me to post a response by one reader who responded to my last blog entry regarding the new facility at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment.  If you don't read the responses, I recommend you go back and read the entry along with the comments to see the frustration of one gambler.

However, in this busy world, I know many won't go back so I wanted to post one person's comments on the discussion which went on there.  If you read the comments thread you have already seen it.

Truth be told, generally I wouldn't post comment from someone who responds anonymously but he/she spent a lot of time formulating their response, poignant, and not abusive (If you wrote the comment, please let me know who you are, I promise not to post your identity).

Now understand, I don't necessarily agree with the entire post.  For one, we don't know what the plans are for Hambletonian Day, to declare the facility will be totally inadequate is premature.  Same goes for the Breeders Crown.  While I agree most money will always be bet off-track, I am not ready to call live customers irrelevant.  But overall, the comments are worth a read:

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What we have here in the comments is a failure to understand or accept what racing has become. I'm not saying I like it. I understand it.

The majority of people who bet The Meadowlands will rarely, if ever, set foot in the new facility. So much is bet on line and at simulcast centers that the live fans are almost irrelevant.

Granted, the track keeps more of what's bet at the track, but the real money is off-track and no amount of promoting will change that.

I wasn't there Saturday night, but the frustration of regular horseplayers who were comes through quite clearly. So does your message that The New Meadowlands seems right sized for nearly all racing nights.

Was anyone at Pocono Downs for the Breeders Crown last month? I'm sure that track can handle the live attendance most nights, but it wasn't up to accommodating the large crowd on that one night. There's no covered grandstand seating and it rained.

Should Pocono Downs host a Breeders Crown when its facility has such limitations? Of course not, but what's the alternative? No other track was willing to put up the money and spend the hours of preparation by a small racing staff.

The New Meadowlands is now in the same position with regards to The Hambletonian. It won't be a great place next year for large crowds on that one day. What's the alternative? Return to DuQuoin? Would DuQuoin want the race? Could DuQuoin afford the race?

To the detractors, name a track that has a large enough facility that would be better than The New Meadowlands AND is willing to front the money to put on the show.

Remember, the Super Bowl could probably get a million people to fill a stadium to watch the game, but who would build such a place for one day out of the year?

Be angry, be frustrated, swear off going to the track, but try to understand.


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Horseplayesrs are a creature of habit.  I remember the good old days of the 1970's at Yonkers Raceway.  I would love for it to be like it was back then but those days are l-o-n-g gone.  The tracks which operate like it was the good old 70's are closed or on their last legs.  Tracks which change and adapt are still here.  People may complain about Pocono Downs and the Meadowlands, but at least they are two tracks which haven't given up on racing (and Pocono could easily go through the motions like Harrah's but they don't).  We can live in the past and be angry or live in the present and accept the new reality.