Jeff Gural on losing money on racing at the Meadowlands

[bumby]

So you have no first hand knowledge? Your over 50% number at the meadowlands is based on what Elite players do on t-breds? I was hoping for facts. Not conjecure. . Elite CAWs aren't at the meadowlands. Also, there has never been publicly accessing information made available that shows the average is over 50%. If you have that source please share.

There is FAR LESS public money bet on harness racing than t-breds.  Easily possible that the CAW players make up a larger percentage of the pools in harness racing.  The only real money left betting harness racing is insiders (trainers/drivers/owners) and CAW.  THERE IS NO PUBLIC.

[pocketrocketwinner]

There is FAR LESS public money bet on harness racing than t-breds.  Easily possible that the CAW players make up a larger percentage of the pools in harness racing.  The only real money left betting harness racing is insiders (trainers/drivers/owners) and CAW.  THERE IS NO PUBLIC.

CAWs feed in pools large enough to make their model successful. That eliminates nearly all harness tracks right there. I believe that they are well established at meadowlands harness. But I don't believe that over 50% of the pools are their money. If anyone has facts that say otherwise, I'd love to hear about it.

[stanetelman]

"We have a whole lot of entertainment going on here at The Meadowlands,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The temperatures are heading toward 90 degrees this weekend, and The Meadowlands failed to top $3 million in handle either night last week."

“We offer a safe, beautiful place where patrons can gather inside or out, with the world’s greatest harness racing except for this Saturday when the real drivers will be up at Mohawk, and the No. 1 sportsbook in North America. That combination turns The Meadowlands into such a unique venue, one that appeals to a remarkably small demographic. We prefer to call them degenerate gamblers."

Meadowlands media relations

[Locked in with pace]

and every year more of the "degenerate harness gamblers" pass away and the younger generation has no interest. Their customer base will continue to get smaller and smaller.

Where would their handle be without CAW?  Will they say?

[stanetelman]

"All of us at The Meadowlands are grateful to be able to say business is up over last year,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Unfortunately the month of June has not been so great.  For the 4th card in a row the Meadowlands failed to reach $3 million in total handle."
All-source handle on the 14-race card totaled $2,512,302.
By contrast the all source handle on the 13-race Woodbine Mohawk card was $4,578,179

Meadowlands media relations

[Superfecta]

"All of us at The Meadowlands are grateful to be able to say business is up over last year,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Unfortunately the month of June has not been so great.  For the 4th card in a row the Meadowlands failed to reach $3 million in total handle."
All-source handle on the 14-race card totaled $2,512,302.
By contrast the all source handle on the 13-race Woodbine Mohawk card was $4,578,179

Meadowlands media relations

Quality races at Woodbine and Amateur shit at Meadowlands.

[M P]

Quality races at Woodbine and Amateur shit at Meadowlands.

This is what happens when your industry lives off "subsidies" in some form.  Without being assholes, take a step back and really look at the state of harness racing in NJ. Freehold has been hanging by a thread for years. Now the sportsbook everyone was complaining they aren't seeing a cut from us leaving. Shocker. You have and SBOANJ who does nothing to ask for improvements to the facility. Refuses to allow the race secretary to write races to favor NJ horsemen. And is begging for 100 million in more welfare from the state. Then The Meadowlands handle slide is continuing. Fueled by Weiner dogs, corn on the cob and drag queens. You don't think the people who have your lives in their hands know three steps down the line and aren't protecting themselves first? Wake up.

[theokodjak26]

I truly wish there wasn’t so much negativity regarding harness racing. However the so called leaders of the sport have no one to blame but themselves. Similar to baseball where everyone from the MLB commissioner down knew for decades about steroid use but did almost nothing. In harness racing everyone from the USTA down saw the drugs taking over. The drivers, trainers, grooms everyone knew but very few said a thing. Only Jeff Gural put his financial ass on the line and exposed all the cheaters. And what has this gotten him…very little in return. When I was younger I could accept an occasional suspicious drive by those trying to cash bets. But this drugging epidemic was too much for me and thousands of ex-owners and fans. The sport is on life support and nothing but its demise is in the future. And for all of you Gural naysayers will eventually get what you desire…no Gural and a great new amusement park where the once proud Meadowlands once stood.

[Superfecta]

Only Jeff Gural put his financial ass on the line and exposed all the cheaters.  a great new amusement park where the once proud Meadowlands once stood.

He didn't expose all the cheaters. Only exposed the ones he didn't like OR couldn't beat. He has hired cheaters for his own horses. That's not OK.
Maybe car racing or condos. No amusement park. 

[M P]

I truly wish there wasn’t so much negativity regarding harness racing. However the so called leaders of the sport have no one to blame but themselves. Similar to baseball where everyone from the MLB commissioner down knew for decades about steroid use but did almost nothing. In harness racing everyone from the USTA down saw the drugs taking over. The drivers, trainers, grooms everyone knew but very few said a thing. Only Jeff Gural put his financial ass on the line and exposed all the cheaters. And what has this gotten him…very little in return. When I was younger I could accept an occasional suspicious drive by those trying to cash bets. But this drugging epidemic was too much for me and thousands of ex-owners and fans. The sport is on life support and nothing but its demise is in the future. And for all of you Gural naysayers will eventually get what you desire…no Gural and a great new amusement park where the once proud Meadowlands once stood.

Two sides to harness racing. The industry which is disgusting. The sport which is amazing. The industry is drugs, abuse and crime. The sport is watching 10 trotters spin off a turn from the fence, feeling them go by and leaving you speechless. Seeing those heads  over their gates and doors in the mornings ears up snickering. Mares with their babies just hours after being foaled doing what nature imprinted in them. Maybe if we put more focus on the sport good people would have the power to take back the industry from the scum.

[Stan durbread]

Sadly it will only return to a sport after the revenue sharing agreements start going away. Right now there is too much money to steal easily because the idiots appointed by the governors don’t bother to do their jobs.