Meadowlands Fans Disappearing

- From time to time, I bring my camera to a track, and come back and post pictures showing how empty it was. So yeah, here I go again.



I'd really prefer to post pictures like this one here. But this is reality, and such is the state of the game these days. It had been awhile since I went to the Meadowlands; I think that this was my last visit, nearly two years ago; man, time flies. But that's not a long time in the scheme of things, and I was really struck at how empty it was compared to how I last remembered it. (Which was, of course, already far less crowded than in the past.) Since my last visit, phone account wagering, the advent of OTB in the state, the availability of the races on TVG and other ADW's, and the usual attrition rate have no doubt had profound effect.



I'd always marveled at the fact that the Meadowlands had kept the entire plant open despite the dwindling crowds; but that is no longer the case, with half of the second floor now closed, and protected behind those increasingly familiar white barricades with the lattice patterns.

Now, of course, it was a wintry Wednesday night, and only an idiot or a degenerate would make his way to the Meadowlands on such an evening when he/she could wager from the comfort of home. And the photos were taken upstairs in the clubhouse; while there was a somewhat more normal looking gathering on the first floor. Still, the announced attendance was just 2,806, and I don't know how or if they include those there for afternoon simulcasting. And I'd never seen it nearly like this.



That's the third floor clubhouse area which used to be promoted as a sports bar. It was pretty lively on most nights, and I'd be lucky to be able to nab one of those tables; but no more. I counted 17 people in the area, including the two guys doing the simulcast show. It was eerie, and added to the sense of doom created by the looming purse cuts that are promised should a new subsidy program not be agreed to. And there's no short-term relief from slots on the horizon.

I generally stay neutral in the slots debates, at least as concerning their own merits, separate from the save-the-tracks standpoint, and as a means for state governments to raise revenues. I don't dismiss lightly the arguments against them, and greatly prefer there were other ways of balancing budgets. But we're not hearing that usual debate in New Jersey about things like the ill effects on society and preying on those least able to afford it. This is simply a case of the state's casino industry using their political clout to prevent competition, period. In this particular case, the identity of the bad guy is plainly clear. Atlantic City's business model was based largely on its regional monopoly on casino gambling. Now, even as that dominance has become obsolete, the casinos are seeking, through bullying and intimidation, to hang on to a piece of what's left (a strategy that hasn't worked out too well for the music industry by the way). The competition from surrounding states has engulfed Atlantic City and will continue to do so as more slots come on line in Philly and, one of these days, at Aqueduct and in Maryland. The contention that another 1,000 VLT machines in East Rutherford would have a material effect is doubtful at very best.

They were promoting some award the track got for being the "best simulcast facility of 2007," but it's been that for some time as far as I'm concerned. The Meadowlands has long been awesome for simulcasting, not to mention the live product, with an ample wagering menu, hundreds of monitors, attentive customer service, and no betting lines, even years ago. The plant is as immaculate as ever now after nearly 30 years, as maybe you can make out from the photos. I've always found it to be comfortable and accommodating, both inside, and out in the spacious trackside park area during the summer.

The Meadowlands would be a perfect place for slots if there's such a thing - there's plenty of room, both in the building and on the park grounds. But since that's unlikely, a new subsidy agreement funded largely by the casinos only seems fair. Here's hoping that Governor Corzine sees fit to keep his word and shepherd it through before any further damage is done.

- On the track, I fell just two noses short of hitting the 7th race triple when Justcallmerosie fell just short at odds of 8-1. With the favorite and second choice on top, the triple paid over $80, so if I had won......(why do we go through pointless exercises like that?) I also had the winner of the 7th at Balmoral on top, but failed to hit the exacta. Other than that, I wasn't too close, but it was nice to get out. And besides, a race that I didn't even bet made the trip totally worthwhile.

The sixth was a maiden pace for three-year olds, and Rudy Rednose was a first-time starter. Gotta be a hunch bet in there somewhere, eh? This pacer is trained by George Teague Jr., and was driven by Brian Sears. With my limited knowledge of harness racing current events, I'd guess that's about equivalent to Mott/Desormeaux or so, yes? Rudy Rednose, 7-2 in the morning line, was the clear betting favorite off a single qualifier. I was out in the cold for the post parade, and the gelded son of Red River Hanover looked fantastic on the track. I think I'm actually better picking out harness horses from their warm-ups than I am with thoroughbreds - which isn't really saying much. I find it easier. You actually have a chance to see the horse in something approaching full stride; and if you're paying attention, you also get a preview during between-race warm-ups about 90 minutes or so before the horses race.

Rudy Rednose went off at 8-5, but was 9th after a half mile; he started to inch up a bit on the outside, but around the turn, he was still four deep in a cover flow that wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't until after turning for home that Sears tipped him out, tapped the sulky with his whip a couple of times, and Rudy Rednose just exploded past the field with absolute ease in a final quarter of 27 seconds (that's good). It's always exciting to catch an impressive debut like that no matter what the breed. So, while I haven't yet had anything even approaching a Derby moment as of yet, if Walter can find me 100-1 on Rudy Rednose in the Meadowlands Pace, I'd certainly get some action down on that!