Freehold Raceway Repercussion

[Arnold Ziffel]

Was thinking how many farms or families/ track workers will be effected from the closure of freehold.

I know of four families that are scratching their heads on how to proceed. They have small farms with some cheap horses they race part time that will have to get out of the business.

What about some of the training farms that have horses that exclusively race Freehold?

[Yonkers1A]

Green Acres ran its course now Freehold has, we all adept to change differently. Harness racing is on life support. I sold all my buggy horses, stop betting on them now I only bet T breds. My money is on the Cowboys, I知 a Giants fan, however I知 switching most of my betting money to Sports, I知 trying to adept.

[Kirbys Ace]

Most will adapt and move on.


Some it will be like getting a notice that your welfare is ending.

[Grandstand Handicapper]

It's going to hurt. It's all part of purge and cleanse. While NJ only has 2 tracks, this was the second tier one. Will NJ horsemen suck it up and race at the lower levels elsewhere? Where? Shipping costs, higher labor costs. Not easy. Some will leave the business, some will relocate, some will stay and race elsewhere. I for one don't want to see the Meadowlands absorb horses that they normally wouldn't.

[Arnold Ziffel]

It's going to hurt. It's all part of purge and cleanse. While NJ only has 2 tracks, this was the second tier one. Will NJ horsemen suck it up and race at the lower levels elsewhere? Where? Shipping costs, higher labor costs. Not easy. Some will leave the business, some will relocate, some will stay and race elsewhere. I for one don't want to see the Meadowlands absorb horses that they normally wouldn't.

Interesting concept. I知 not sure it would be profitable for the Meadowlands to ask for more dates to race cheaper horses.

[Bitter Truth]

Let's get real. The M[1] Has/is already taking those type of horses. The crown is already irrevocably
tarnished. Why stop now?

[Grandstand Handicapper]

Interesting concept. I知 not sure it would be profitable for the Meadowlands to ask for more dates to race cheaper horses.

You got me on that. Track management is too hung up on # of races. They count each race as X dollars and don't see the forest in all the trees.

[jupiter]

Why in the hell would you want the shit show horses anywhere near the Meadowlands. It's bad enough now, without putting more crap races on. Remember when the bottom rung was 15k claimers or N/W of 2? And Joe or Tad would put Non Competitive in entry sheets. Long way down. Where do these horses go? I don know, time for some people to get out. Sorry if it's not feasible for Freehold stock to ship to Monti

[Locked in with pace]

Gural complains that he keeps losing money with the Meadowlands. And the quality gets cheaper and cheaper each year. Who would have dreamed that a $4,000 claimer ships in jogs in a race? To have 68 and under Trackmaster races is probably even cheaper and he had many of those. They ran so many amateur races to fill cards. There is no way he runs a meet with Freehold horses to make up their normal days without giving him a boatload of money. From where the money comes from. who knows??   

Maybe run the meet at the training centers like Fair racing?  Could happen

 

[The Exporter]

How can anyone pay a trainer $3,000 + to race 3X a month at a place like Freehold? You would need to be in the top 10% of the earners to break even on expenses alone.
 As for blaming the track owners for this track's demise is foolish. All the experts say they should have invested more in marketing and advertising. Should have remodeled the place to bring in the crowds.
 So, how much did Gural invest in "The New Meadowlands" to host a crowd of 1200 or so ? How much has he spent on every gimmick and marketing stunt they could think of?
How much on advertising?
As long as a dude can sit at home with a box of Twinkies, a can of PBR beer and his cell phone, betting every track around the world, every major sport,  all the advertising  in the world will not bring enough people to a track or sports book to and make it work.
 
We have about a half dozen tracks, all Thoroughbred that make a real profit. Harness is not even on the same page.

[Arnold Ziffel]

Why in the hell would you want the shit show horses anywhere near the Meadowlands. It's bad enough now, without putting more crap races on. Remember when the bottom rung was 15k claimers or N/W of 2? And Joe or Tad would put Non Competitive in entry sheets. Long way down. Where do these horses go? I don know, time for some people to get out. Sorry if it's not feasible for Freehold stock to ship to Monti

I think it would be more formidable than amateur races at the Meadowlands on a Friday night.

[Arnold Ziffel]

How can anyone pay a trainer $3,000 + to race 3X a month at a place like Freehold? You would need to be in the top 10% of the earners to break even on expenses alone.
 As for blaming the track owners for this track's demise is foolish. All the experts say they should have invested more in marketing and advertising. Should have remodeled the place to bring in the crowds.
 So, how much did Gural invest in "The New Meadowlands" to host a crowd of 1200 or so ? How much has he spent on every gimmick and marketing stunt they could think of?
How much on advertising?
As long as a dude can sit at home with a box of Twinkies, a can of PBR beer and his cell phone, betting every track around the world, every major sport,  all the advertising  in the world will not bring enough people to a track or sports book to and make it work.
 
We have about a half dozen tracks, all Thoroughbred that make a real profit. Harness is not even on the same page.

I can稚 disagree with that.

[Arnold Ziffel]

Howard Bruno the general manager of freehold raceway has done absolutely nothing to promote harness racing throughout the last couple of years let alone care about the 93 track employees that will be out of work!

[Grandstand Handicapper]

I think Gural said he'd only add dates if he got Freehold's allocation of state money. Even if he got that, if he's still losing money, then he shouldn't add dates. I say give him a casino!!! LOL.

[Sunmoon 1219]

I can see betting 7500 claimers on the mile track . Balmoral would have a good handle on those and up the ladder . Definitely nothing cheaper these folks need to consolidate and buy one or 2 decent claimers and sell the others to Maine or Canada