Meadowlands handle fails to top $3 million

[Locked in with pace]

so true

[toothman]

...because he is a very wealthy, arrogant man who crowned himself "savior", actually believing somehow that NJ automatically would give him a casino, not understanding NJ politics, and now he is crying "poor mouse" after he made a poor decision by spending millions on a new M1 and lobbying, now, almost 10 years later, he is starting to realize his "dream casino" isn't happening anytime soon-so he continues to weep about how poor he is. Now he threatens to close his bad investment if he doesn't get his casino.

His hubris, poor judgement and overall lack of awareness is why he is in the position he is in- out millions of dollars-, begging for a casino that he wont get.

I didn't see anyone else breaking down doors to operate M1.
He saved racing in the swamp. If he didn't, this thread wouldnt exist.
He's not perfect by any means.
But instead of having such a hard on for him, why not just say "Thank you"?

[Papillon]

I didn't see anyone else breaking down doors to operate M1.
He saved racing in the swamp. If he didn't, this thread wouldnt exist.
He's not perfect by any means.
But instead of having such a hard on for him, why not just say "Thank you"?

thank him for what?

corn contests?
amateur driving races?
30 minutes or more between races?
allowing Elite to comprise 50% of the handle-picking the pockets of everyone else?
two days a week racing?

The M1 provides fond memories of the 70s 80s and 90s--i get it.... I went hundreds of times
...but those days are over--harness racing is bleeding out-all Gural did was provide a temporary infusion to keep it going, so he can complain about losing money and demand a casino

why doesn't  "savior" publish how much of his handle is Elite Turf Club?

[Chessington]

thank him for what?

corn contests?
amateur driving races?
30 minutes or more between races?
allowing Elite to comprise 50% of the handle-picking the pockets of everyone else?
two days a week racing?

The M1 provides fond memories of the 70s 80s and 90s--i get it.... I went hundreds of times
...but those days are over--harness racing is bleeding out-all Gural did was provide a temporary infusion to keep it going, so he can complain about losing money and demand a casino

why doesn't  "savior" publish how much of his handle is Elite Turf Club?

So let me understand .  By Gural providing ALL the funding to keep the Meadowlands alive was a worse option than NO Meadowlands at all? What am I missing?

[Papillon]

So let me understand .  By Gural providing ALL the funding to keep the Meadowlands alive was a worse option than NO Meadowlands at all? What am I missing?

you are ignoring Gural's declaring himself "savior"....his arrogance about how he feels he is entitled to a casino, and his constant complaining about losing money.

as far as a better option goes--maybe the M1 should have closed 10 years ago-in that scenario, the industry would be forced to make the appropriate business adjustments back then-instead of 10 years of a pipedream about a "casino" that for some reason, people feel that casino will completely save the industry...he we are a decade later in a worse spot as handle decreases 5% every year and that includes letting all the CAW in the pools.

Gural kicked the can down the road 10-12 years but will be forced to face the inevitable

kicking the can down the road doesn't work when there isn't any more road left

[Chessington]

You are a special kind of stupid

[pocketrocketwinner]

So let me understand .  By Gural providing ALL the funding to keep the Meadowlands alive was a worse option than NO Meadowlands at all? What am I missing?

Staying open introduced CAWs into the pools to secure the state subsidy. I think that was worse than closing. Now there are caws at lots of tracks in harness and gural was the one who introduced them

[toothman]

gural's not the problem or to blame

[stanetelman]

Saturday 1/25 handle
$3,325,776
4 out of 8 cards handling over $3 million
$356,550 below break even point

Friday 1/31 handle
$3,040,212
5 out of 9 cards handling over $3 million
$316,328 below break even point

[PineHurstPacer]

it's going to be around 3.7 tonight

[Sunmoon 1219]

Looking like a huge night considering the garbage horses especially those Freehold creatures are still around .

[stanetelman]

Friday 1/31 handle
$3,040,212
5 out of 9 cards handling over $3 million
$316,328 below break even point

Saturday 2/1 handle
$3,615,687
6 out of 10 cards handling over $3 million
$299,359 above break even point

[Junebug990]

I don't get caught up in the handle. They are running 14 races per night so naturally you will have a higher handle.
I was watching the races after they hit the quarter pole some of these odds drop so dramatically and that is the thing
that bothers me the most. You handicap a race thinking the selections you make will have value as the race starts you
see the odds go from 8/1 to 3/1. Even the people on TVG notice it even though that means nothing. That is the issue
I have over the handle. I do not play or invest the money I used to play because of this reason.

[Lar4400]

The Big M has and will always be the best harness racing venue in N America.
Everyone that loves harness racing should embrace this fact.
All of the negative comments are so lame.
Handle over 3 million a card is amazing for harness these days.
Try rooting for the Big M to win and stop criticizing please.
If your a true harness racing fan, embrace this place and the efforts of Gural and all that put on the show twice a week. If the Meadowlands falls the game in the US is over for the trots.

[bestbetter]

How many people are their betting live?