Tradition Of Thoroughbreds At Meadowlands Continues, Amid Rain

The Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey was the North American mecca for thoroughbred racing almost since the day it opened in 1976. The 2008 thoroughfare meet featured only 40 dates and crowds barely averaged 3,500. For the next three years, thoroughbreed racing at the Meadowland disappeared entirely. In 2012, the thoroughfries returned with an eight-date card. This fall, there are nine races on Friday and Saturday evenings from Sept. 23 through Oct. 22.

Tradition of Thoroughbreds at Meadowlands continues, despite rain. The thoroughbred races are held on the turf track, not on dirt track.

The Meadowlands won't have an extended thoroughbred meet. The state's horsemen want to use a synthetic turf track, but it costs $10 million. Gulfstream Park in Florida and Woodbine Racetrack in Ontario have synthetic tracks.

The standardbreds are on a break until the weekend of Nov. 4-5. Synthetic turf installation at the Meadowlands could mean 40 dates at track. Fixed odds betting has been popular at Monmouth Park since the spring. Fixed Odds betting is a betting option at FanDuel Sportsbook inside the grandstand. The standardbreeds prefer to see if it cannibalizes parimutuel handle at that place.