tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post5909475212071629584..comments2024-02-27T17:43:37.207-05:00Comments on View From the Racetrack Grandstand: Law and OrderThat Blog Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-70378796607599797442016-06-23T14:02:37.607-04:002016-06-23T14:02:37.607-04:00Level the playing field and then lets see if the M...Level the playing field and then lets see if the Meadowlands can compete with the other tracks.Blainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01099944785495100269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-17669426037058109522016-06-23T08:34:43.381-04:002016-06-23T08:34:43.381-04:00Count, supposedly there is a $6 million deficit in...Count, supposedly there is a $6 million deficit in the purse account.That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-2051357307226512882016-06-23T08:12:07.457-04:002016-06-23T08:12:07.457-04:00Amazing that for such a rich man that apparently d...Amazing that for such a rich man that apparently doesn't need the money, the purses at the Meadowlands are mighty low. Where is all the money from these alleged "record handles" that they have there going? Tracks with these types of handles have had a much better purse structure historically WITHOUT ANY SLOT MONEY than what currently is being meted out at Gural Central. Jeff loves investigations so I think that this is where an investigation by an independent party is certainly warranted.Countnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-16385805143721347052016-06-23T06:49:26.402-04:002016-06-23T06:49:26.402-04:00Jeff is absolutely right.. Ban the troublemakers.....Jeff is absolutely right.. Ban the troublemakers...He owns horses just like the rest of the owners. and wants to see them race. If the horseman from other tracks, think the race office, judges are going to favorite Jeff's horses, then why would they want to race there anyway? Do you really think what purse money Jeff wins, makes a difference to him.. He is a very rich man, who loves and wants to see his horses race AT HIS OWN TRACKS.ROSALIND PAULnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-90926209219140675762016-06-21T09:59:01.151-04:002016-06-21T09:59:01.151-04:00I would argue the point that Mr. Gural "wants...I would argue the point that Mr. Gural "wants harness racing to thrive"; I think a better assessment is that he wants harness racing to "thrive" for a select group, specifically himself, and his small circle of "advisors" and "partners". It's very telling that virtually ANY successful trainer that's NOT part of that clique has either been tossed already, or is always under scrutiny; on the other hand, those that are part of the "in crowd" are never questioned, and even worse, when news is released about a large number of ACTUAL positives (the glaucine episode), he actually DEFENDS the trainers that tested positive, blaming "contamination" (or anything else) rather than toss them. Other trainers have been tossed for FAR less, but then again, THEY don't train for "The Boss".<br />It must be nice to be "in" with the guy that decides just who gets to race at his facilities - and that's why it's so important that track owners are never allowed to race at their OWN facilities; the abuses (and equally important, the perception of abuses) have run rampant at these tracks, and the public is not pretending that it doesn't exist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-79743585953639280972016-06-20T14:34:02.214-04:002016-06-20T14:34:02.214-04:00Count, I do believe he wants harness racing to thr...Count, I do believe he wants harness racing to thrive; why else would he have breeding farms?<br /><br />The deal with the Meadowlands was smart negotiating because he knows over the long term harness racing can't sustain itself without slots.. If he was taking a risk, along with his partners, he would be foolish not to protect himself.<br /><br />As for his exclusionary practices, I have no problem with them in theory. Of course there is at minimum, a perception issue of selectivity at best, at worst abuse of the system. I would like to see some transparency to his exclusionary practices, such as a rule book which will explain what will get you tossed out and adhere to it but then a lawyer would likely tell him not to do it.<br /><br />As for the size of the track? I think it is of realistic size; this is the way it is attendance-wise. As for the quality of racing, it is a factor of what you can pay.That Blog Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15487597769210721585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-37030366227440054252016-06-20T08:58:11.907-04:002016-06-20T08:58:11.907-04:00What a shame that Jeff Gural has been revealed to ...What a shame that Jeff Gural has been revealed to be nothing but a hypocrite. When he first came on the scene, I too was fooled into thinking that he was genuinely interested in preserving the sport of harness racing and bringing back to it some integrity. It turns out that all he did was make a "deal" to further enhance his riches and megalomania without taking any risks whatsoever. He gets ALL of his money back in the event a racino is not agreed upon at his site. He banishes people at his own free will. The handles at the Meadowlands are so artificially inflated that it's laughable, not to mention their attendance figures (Hambo day had 8000 at most NOT 23,000). The product at the track is atrocious. The building he made is completely substandard from the flawed architecture to the inadequate restrooms, to its pathetically small size. My disappointment in this man is boundless. Countnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4684463172854959042.post-9219479658637099772016-06-19T17:31:25.413-04:002016-06-19T17:31:25.413-04:00First, I like most of what Mr. Gural has done for ...First, I like most of what Mr. Gural has done for racing and think Mr. Faraldo is often an obstructionist when it comes to improving racing for fans and bettors.<br /><br />Second, this public feud between the two men doesn't help harness racing's image. If anything, it confirms what some of the public believes. The decision makers, wherever their power lies, care more about themselves than the sport's future.<br /><br />Beyond the first two points, no state should allow a track owner, managers, judges or anyone else involved in organization and policing of racing to own and race horses where they work. Even the appearance of a conflict of interest should be avoided. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com