HORSEPLOP.COM
General Category => Harness Racing => Topic started by: Cashout on May 11, 2026, 01:12:32 PM
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Slowly but surely the minute the casino corporations see an opportunity to dump harness racing they will. The glory days of harness racing are long gone and they’re not coming back. Outside a small sample of sicko owners and sicko gamblers people could care less about harness racing . I think I heard that the new governor of New Jersey is already looking to not support the meadowlands financially. Liberty Bell, Brandywine, Freestate, Illinois tracks , Pompano , Freehold , Cal Expo, Rideau Carleton , Fraser Downs , Maine tracks, Michigan tracks are the ones that come to mind that are long gone. Hopefully Mr Gural lives a long time but the minute he’s gone , the meadowlands will be gone also. Hard to really feel bad for the horseman, the meadowlands has to beg and plead for their support.
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Many in the business feel entitled to the purses they race for. They are in for a big shock at some point. The horsemen that race for strictly overnight purses will be the first to go...it will spread from there unless someone comes up with a solution.
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Agree 1000 % and there’s no solution
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Many in the business feel entitled to the purses they race for. They are in for a big shock at some point. The horsemen that race for strictly overnight purses will be the first to go...it will spread from there unless someone comes up with a solution.
Look at the age of all participants in the business today.
There is a good mix of older and younger drivers. For every younger driver, you have an older one!
Trainers-probably more older than younger.
Grooms-probably more older than younger.
Owners-probably more older than younger.
When all of the individuals move on, injuries, retirement, death, the pool becomes smaller. Especially owners as they are the ones investing and the younger generations aren’t interested.
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Thanks for your bluntness ngc3
My kind and I, the "sicko gamblers" ngc3, will just have to adapt, find something else to enjoy to be unwell ngc3
Something located somewhere we're appreciated a bit more for our support ngc3
Like T-Bred racing with a touch of alcoholism that might numb some of the illegal drugs and cheating while my money is in play ngc3...old dog here, I don't do new tricks! ;D
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I’m right there with you Sweet , long standing sicko harness racing gambler
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I’m right there with you Sweet , long standing sicko harness racing gambler
11.chrz
It was a good life.
I wouldn't change a thing.
I'm fortunate to have this last year.
More challenges, more excitement, and trying to end in the black.
With y'all by each others side, here, or meeting up at the track - dining room, seating before the finish line! ;D
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I was a huge fan of clubhouse dining to watch the races. It has gone away in Delaware. Although Harrington will allow you to order food in the bar and carry to the clubhouse with no waitress service at all. Not even for drinks or refills. Kinda sad. Covid put a few more nails in the coffin.
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I too used to love dining at the track with my wife. My five favorite dining spots to watch the horses are.....
1) The "Cloud Casino" at Roosevelt Raceway. Good solid food and a great view. Just a great spot to watch the "Red Man" go to the top almost every race. Great driver colony. I once had a chat with Stan Bergstein at the window one night. Very nice guy.
2) Trackside restaurant at Gulfstream Park. Although the view was better from their upstairs restaurant with an incredible Sunday buffet, I love the trackside restaurant alot. I was once sitting next to Jack Klugman and Tim Conway there. People followed them to the windows trying to see what they bet. I didn't. I just waved and smiled once and they smiled back.
3) "Top Of Park" at Pompano Park. A quick elevator ride to the 6th floor that had an amazing view. And since I owned some cheap horses my wife and I only had to show our track ID for a free program and some nibbles in the lounge. I always tried to get a seat on the top level of the restaurant so it wasn't a long walk to the windows. I had the thrill of sitting near George Steinbrenner on a Bredders Crown night when one of his horses won. He was like a kid jumping up and down. I shook his hand and congratulated him and his wife.
4) Trackside Restaurant at Freehold Raceway. Although the food was pretty bad and the dining room was past the finish line. all the owners and trainers hung out there. During the 80's and 90's, you'd be able to pick up a morsel of information from a owner every once in awhile. I was given a horse by an owner that was driven by Gino Palazzolo that paid $64 from the 8 post. Wire-to-Wire while the chalk at even money never got off the rail.
5) The 4th floor restaurant at Calder Race Course. With a pretty sweet view and some great steak sandwiches, they were one of the first tracks that had a small TV at each table. The Maitred', a friend of the family named Lorie (who just reacently passed. Rest In Peace my friend) gave us great seats and an occasional winner to pay for our meal. LOL! Local trainers like Ediie Plesa Jr., Danny Hurtak, Bennie Stutts, and Larry Pilotti would have their own tables and were fun to chat with. A great time for the track right off the Florida Turnpike.
Geez.....I miss those great places.
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Believe it or not, now defunct Scarboro had a pretty good restaurant.
Monti had a nice Prime Rib.
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Many in the business feel entitled to the purses they race for. They are in for a big shock at some point. The horsemen that race for strictly overnight purses will be the first to go...it will spread from there unless someone comes up with a solution.
Once overnight races end, having stake horses doesn’t matter!
How many overnight horses race and how many stakes are there in a year?
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Believe it or not, now defunct Scarboro had a pretty good restaurant.
Monti had a nice Prime Rib.
I was at both many times. Scarborough had a great buffet on Kentucky Derby Day!
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the little guy has no chance the small barn has no chance
nobody wants to invest and the same guys keep winning big time trainers get their positives among other shit gets put op the side
25 min average between races is boring and insane
nobdy sticking around for that crap,
im pretty much done myself...
got 9 mares im breeding to sell and will continue to buy more mares,,,
at least im not getting cheated at the races between drives and usta and tracks looking the other way for big shot trainers
just my view
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Believe it or not, now defunct Scarboro had a pretty good restaurant.
Monti had a nice Prime Rib.
That's so weird because I was just remembering, believe it or not...The Palm Beach Kennel Club was the best sit down dining of all.
Charles Town made a great prime rib too in their dining room which was on a very steep incline.
The BigM had lobster ravioli I think it came in frozen, crap ngc3, Yonkers, Pompano, they were all fair...The Ten Palms at GP good, not great, typical American, not the greatest buffet dining.
The absolute worst was Calder at the end. Awful cold cuts on a long and narrow, short legged buffet table. Horror show like that crap that Rocky described at Hawthone ngc3
But back in the pre-adw days I'd bet no dogs, go to the PBKC strictly for simulcast and dining.
The Rooney family had a reserved table in the front left hand corner. Their kids used to run around it playing.
Brats ngc3
That grew up to be these famous actresses (Kate and her sis, Rooney Mara)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTf3R73CvLT6dCZSH_100fOnuBBMgBiZl-iLw&s)
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That's so weird because I was just remembering, believe it or not...The Palm Beach Kennel Club was the best sit down dining of all.
Charles Town made a great prime rib too in their dining room which was on a very steep incline.
The BigM had lobster ravioli I think it came in frozen, crap ngc3, Yonkers, Pompano, they were all fair...The Ten Palms at GP good, not great, typical American, not the greatest buffet dining.
The absolute worst was Calder at the end. Awful cold cuts on a long and narrow, short legged buffet table. Horror show like that crap that Rocky described at Hawthone ngc3
But back in the pre-adw days I'd bet no dogs, go to the PBKC strictly for simulcast and dining.
The Rooney family had a reserved table in the front left hand corner. Their kids used to run around it playing.
Brats ngc3
That grew up to be these famous actresses (Kate and her sis, Rooney Mara)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTf3R73CvLT6dCZSH_100fOnuBBMgBiZl-iLw&s)
I used to love the PBKC on a weekend afternoon. I remember great sandwiches and hot dogs. I don't remember it's menu. But on certain days, they drew some big crowds. After the races, we'd go have dinner on the island of Palm Beach at test's. Great food. I think they closed a while back.
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I used to love the PBKC on a weekend afternoon. I remember great sandwiches and hot dogs. I don't remember it's menu. But on certain days, they drew some big crowds. After the races, we'd go have dinner on the island of Palm Beach at Testa's. Great food. I think they closed a while back.
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I've been hearing about the death of racing for over 30+ years. In that time purses, driver, trainer, owner, horse earnings, salaries, and yearling prices have skyrocketed. I'd say its doing very well.
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It won’t die. People just won’t be able to afford to do it for a living based on what the purses will become once the casinos are let off the hook.
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I believe cheaters had a lot to do with killing the sport. It leads to way to much chalk and boring races. The Meadowlands empty out many bettors got tired of the cheaters. Yonkers was no different. I had a group of friends that sat in the restaurant. They were small time owners and big bettors. The cheaters ran them out and made them sour.
No one wants to spend hours handicapping to have the cheats blow you away. Horse gamblers want to cash big tickets.
I also had many friends that switch to the runners or poker.
Fast forward to today and yes it is on life support. There are not many fans or bettors left. A few big barns do very well. The majority struggle to stay afloat. I listened to LUCPARK's story. He has money, used big trainers, and lost much money.
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I believe cheaters had a lot to do with killing the sport. It leads to way to much chalk and boring races. The Meadowlands empty out many bettors got tired of the cheaters. Yonkers was no different. I had a group of friends that sat in the restaurant. They were small time owners and big bettors. The cheaters ran them out and made them sour.
No one wants to spend hours handicapping to have the cheats blow you away. Horse gamblers want to cash big tickets.
I also had many friends that switch to the runners or poker.
Fast forward to today and yes it is on life support. There are not many fans or bettors left. A few big barns do very well. The majority struggle to stay afloat. I listened to LUCPARK's story. He has money, used big trainers, and lost much money.
Of course the cheaters killed the sport, they're talking about the level that it is at now. Even with the welfare and being gambler not influenced (as much or at all).
Stop the drugs, cheating and hand out to celebrities (that are racing fans too) $50,000,000 in horse ownerships and endorsement money to show up. Throw big events at the track on race days and off. Throw another $50,000,000 in guaranteed pools.
Better get the collection cup out from everyone who makes money off racing i.e. the breeders, the entire supply chain of goods and services, the tracks...!
Or take the money and run, like now, lack integrity, crimes, animal abuse, make the gamblers and honest participants continue to look like fools...until the gravy train would stop.
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I was a huge fan of clubhouse dining to watch the races. It has gone away in Delaware. Although Harrington will allow you to order food in the bar and carry to the clubhouse with no waitress service at all. Not even for drinks or refills. Kinda sad. Covid put a few more nails in the coffin.
I liked it when Harrington had their buffet in clubhouse. 14.95 including drink with free refills. Tip $5 so for 20 bucks it gave you a reason to go to the track and eat and be in a comfortable atmosphere to watch the races. Now no reason to go just stay home and watch and bet online. Plus when there and had a good night I would wonder over to the casino and donate most of my winnings. 73cv.2
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I had a table at Harrington for many years. Went a couple nights a week. Nice atmosphere and brought in some new faces.
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You guys keep saying harness racing is on life-support yet we keep going and going. Yonkers is the place to race purses keep going up.
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Yonkers purses are great. The problem there seems to be they are very selective of who they let race there You just cant drop ahorse in the box like most other tracks even if you fit the classes. Anywhere else in New York you are able to do that. This is a problem in my estimation.
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You guys keep saying harness racing is on life-support yet we keep going and going.
Sport is thriving!