In The Sulky Forum
General Category => General Harness Racing Discussion => Topic started by: CyberChamp on January 12, 2014, 02:56:42 PM
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We are a little more than a dozen race cards into the meet at the New Meadowlands.
Just wanted to get your thoughts and observations about anything and everything related to M1.
Here is a little something to get us started:
Corey Callahan is really learning how to drive with the big boys. Very impressed with his performances so far.
I enjoy playing the Friday cards a lot more than the Saturday cards. I think the trotters are more consistent and the quality, on average, is better on Fridays. I find a lot more inconsistencies, or should I say less predictability, with the Saturday cards.
I haven't found any noticeable differences with the change in track orientation, moving the start/finish to the opposite side. I think the engineers did a great job to preserve how the track plays vs. the previous configuration.
The late pick4s, IMO, are really tough. They've kicked my @ss since the start of the meet. My hunch is that it's somewhat due to the quality of horses in the LP4, lower classes that are more inconsistent, but there are some very competitive fields there as well, likely by design.
I like the video frames and color scheme. I extremely dislike that they post payouts and will pays for $2 pick4s. I don't know anyone who plays the pick4 for $2. IMO, this is just a sad attempt to mislead the public into thinking that the pick4 is paying higher.
Love the pool sizes. Maybe it's just the hype with the New Meadowlands, but it looks to be sustainable.
It's become quite clear to me that Pierce and Yannick are great speed drivers. But when the bias is favoring closers, they truly struggle. The always patient John Campbell puts on a clinic when the track favors closers, especially on off tracks.
Two words: Sweet Justice
Noticed a change in the location of the finish line camera. Used to be situated slightly after the finish line, making it appear that the finish line angled slightly to the left, from the top down, when looking at the video monitor. I think the new M1 started that way, but now it looks like the camera is located slightly before the finish line. Not quite right on top of the finish line like Woodbine, but takes a lot of the guess work away as we wait for the results of the photo finish.
Glad they now have a 3rd day of racing.
The late double has been complete garbage. I don't even want to handicap past race 10 or 11.
They must be having trouble with entries for the higher class pacers. Can't believe that they had a B-1/A-2/A-1/FFA handicap race last night (race 6), and that only had 8 horses.
The TVG coverage has been okay, but the live video feed has been very uninformative. I prefer to mute the sound now.
Wish they would implement a countdown clock like WEG.
Feel free to share any thoughts. Also, has anyone been to the new M1 and have insight to share?
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great thread and comments cc thumbsup
dislikes,
the new color schemes,reminds me vernon or tioga
has become another track where post times mean nothing
agree about a clock like woodbine
the cheap racing makes some races unwatchable let alone bettable
likes,
big pools
mile racing
plenty of trot races
mckee and warkentin
campbell getting some live drives
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I like how they finally show the pick 5 payout for $.50 and then they go and show the pick 4 payouts for $2? Makes no sense.
The morning line is pure garbage, they'd be better off not even having one. If people use it as a gauge then they are being terribly mislead.
I feel the competitive races really offer some nice value, but there needs to be more of them. There have been a lot of races where half the field can't keep up so it looks like you can't close. But when you see a nice field of horses, the races really have been much more fair.
Three nights a week is definitely a plus, hopefully they can keep it up and keep getting better horses to show up.
Brad Irvine and Doug Lewis trained horses are on all of my tickets!!
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I haven't found any noticeable differences with the change in track orientation, moving the start/finish to the opposite side.
Grams Legacy hasn't either ..... rflmao1
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Grams Legacy hasn't either ..... rflmao1
That f**kER!!!!
birdienana birdienana birdienana
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Grams Legacy hasn't either ..... rflmao1
rflmao1 rflmao1 rflmao1
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Zeron can bring a price horse home, or into the ticket. This kid can flat out drive with the best of them, and when he gets first call with a number one stable, he'll lead the meet there. I didn't think he'd fit in this well this quick, but he's done a bang up job after a rough first bit.
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CC, good topic to get started.
Agree about Callahan. He made his mark this time last year at the Big M.
Good to see old vets Pierce and Campbell off to good starts. Live drives make a difference. They're also taking advantage of Tim Tetrick being on the D.L. and Sears choosing to make his money in front of 10 people at the junk pile across the river.
The last couple of winters Campbell was mostly an auto toss the first 2 months of the year. Looks like Andy Miller has assumed that role, at least on Saturday nights which is the only time I play.
The track configuration is fine and I don't mind liking a horse with an outside post. The sweeping banked turns are fine and this is an opinion from someone with familiarity to the hairpins at the old Sportsman's Park in Chicago. For a mile track, Hawthorne's turns were much tighter than the Big M.
Some of the annoying things so far include the mutuels computer freeze that disrupts everything; for a new facility with presumably new equipment, that shouldn't happen.
Instead of showing the WPS pools for 10 seconds before the horses turn and go to the gate, how about showing it twice? Right after the post parade introduction and a minute before the judge tells the drivers to turn them seems right. After all, over 90 percent of the wagering is being done off-track.
Found it interesting last Saturday night that one of the drivers earlier (before the deluge that hit in race 8) said the sloppy track wasn't bad and they were coming off the track with little mud on them. Despite it being sloppy, I thought the track played consistent.
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Dave, I think Zeron is getting there but wish he would have found the wire a tad sooner with Humility the other night.
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Grams Legacy hasn't either ..... rflmao1
rflmao1 rflmao1 rflmao1 Let me know when he gets new shoes slaphead hammerhead1 shootme
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Dave, I think Zeron is getting there but wish he would have found the wire a tad sooner with Humility the other night.
Sorry MM,
I know Jazz was yelling for One Bad Shot and Joe Bongiorno over all of the others guy at the OTB that were screaming for Humility.
I also heard that Brush and Crush was rocking in the seat of his car while One Bad Shot was flying down the stretch. Word has it that his wife was looking at him funny during that epileptic-like episode.
Rumor has it that Rocknroll was also yelling during the stretch call for JoeyB to get a nose up.
My teller at the OTB was rooting for the same since I gave her a $2 win ticket on One Bad Shot. (The only pre-race gratuity I gave her all night.)
Wow, that accounts for 7.5% of the p5 pool! lilcheerleader
yeahbabydrinkingguy
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Sorry MM,
I know Jazz was yelling for One Bad Shot and Joe Bongiorno over all of the others guy at the OTB that were screaming for Humility.
I also heard that Brush and Crush was rocking in the seat of his car while One Bad Shot was flying down the stretch. Word has it that his wife was looking at him funny during that epileptic-like episode.
Rumor has it that Rocknroll was also yelling during the stretch call for JoeyB to get a nose up.
My teller at the OTB was rooting for the same since I gave her a $2 win ticket on One Bad Shot. (The only pre-race gratuity I gave her all night.)
Wow, that accounts for 7.5% of the p5 pool! lilcheerleader
yeahbabydrinkingguy
thumbsup thumbsup yeahbabydrinkingguy
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rflmao1 rflmao1 rflmao1 Let me know when he gets new shoes slaphead hammerhead1 shootme
I sure hope he waits to get those new shoes for Pace night!
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CC:
If I knew where you guys were we coulda had that huge Exacta.
What OTB are you talking about? I wound up at the one in Joliet and it was library quiet that night.
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I actually lost my voice after that race. rflmao1
I was STUCK like a friend of mine. rflmao1
that 8 bailed me out and helped in the pk5.
if not stuck, would've had the EX and the 10c Super. I'm glad CC had him and told us about him. bowdown bowdown
MM, we usually hang out at Players Pub which is quite a distance from where you were at (Joliet)
located in Prospect Heights.
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CJ:
The rematch between those two is this Saturday, race 10. Won't get anywhere close to those prices.
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Glad to see that M1 is now showing $1 pick4 will pays and payouts! thumbsup
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Inside of the building looks like a bus or airport terminal and is too narrow. Not enough tables for handicapping and designed as a party club rather than racetrack. Too many low lifes still there. Concession stands are way overpriced and Jeff said personally that he is going to make up for the money he lost on concessions at the Meadowlands so good luck considering your handle has dropped like a rock. The worst toteboard you will ever see. Smaller than Freehold and bad coloring and also does not display the WPS of each individual horse. Overall they missed the mark on top of carding awful races. Should have kept the old building and fixed the heat, a/c and the roof. No way Gurals investors spent 90 million on that dump. If it cost a 1/3rd that is still to much.
winner winner chicken dinner.
I know at least 3 other people who are like me and not really interested in going there anymore.
These are people who live here and ive gone to the Big M with at least once a year for the last 10 or so years.
Id rather actually drive 30 minutes further and goto yonkers.
Which is saying a lot as you have to go through a casino maze to even get to the track.
Lots of people are making their trips out to see the new place for the first time and a lot of people are not happy about it.
I goto the track to watch a race. Not goto a restaurant or disco.
The actual watching of a race and finding a place to watch it comfortably was my worst experience of any track ive been to.
If a friend came in from Europe who knew nothing of the sport and I wanted to take them to a horse racing experience Id choose chester over big by a miles.
I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that the restaurants were the key to the new business model.
But the complete lack of looking out for the guy interested in sitting down with a beer and seeing the races with a good sight line is amazing.
Its as if that person isn't even wanted there.
But wth less than 10% of the handle coming from on site it may be part of the business model too.
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Someone should call out Jeff Gural for the liar and scammer he truly is. man is a bustout if not for his daddy's trust fun. Same way he says he tosses out cheats yet allows Burke and the rest of the criminals to stay. That's right, a groom pissed in Burkes stall. rflmao1 rflmao1 rflmao1 rflmao1 rflmao1 rflmao1 rflmao1
The new venue absolutely sucks.
I do think he is trying to do his best.
Some of the stuff like the outrage because Poconos raced the opening weekend and they couldn't get horses is laughable.
They have a sense of entitlement sometimes.
The night I was there they had $9,000 races on a Saturday. They have $10,000 races at Rosecroft.
Why should Pocono or Yonkers or anyone bend over for them?
IMO the new place is not a destination on any level.
Maybe they should have changed opening night to accommodate the Poconos?
I do think Gural is doing his best.
I am sure whomever designed that venue did it to maximize the profits for him. I can agree with that. It is probably the business model for a sport where 90% of its betting is done off track. It just isn't for me.
Banking the apron was not possible why?
If you bank it its easier to see the track.
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I agree 3ww. Was there 2 weeks ago and left after 3 races. Pathetic facility. Why travel ? Home computer does the job and far more comfortable. Gural really dropped the ball here
We left early too. First time Ive ever done that. Left with 2 to go.
After a 3.5 hour drive!
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Why should Pocono or Yonkers or anyone bend over for them?
What comes around goes around , it's only a matter of time before the Meadowlands gets slots and it's only a matter of time before the slots funding in Pa. comes to an end ...... my guess is that Gural will get the last laugh when it comes to Pocono.
When you're trying to keep people interested in the sport why wouldn't you try and help out the mecca of harness racing ? I remember you posting on BTW every other day about Rosecroft and how everybody should back racing in Maryland, and now you post why should anybody bend over for the Meadowlands ... unreal
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What comes around goes around , it's only a matter of time before the Meadowlands gets slots and it's only a matter of time before the slots funding in Pa. comes to an end ...... my guess is that Gural will get the last laugh when it comes to Pocono.
When you're trying to keep people interested in the sport why wouldn't you try and help out the mecca of harness racing ? I remember you posting on BTW every other day about Rosecroft and how everybody should back racing in Maryland, and now you post why should anybody bend over for the Meadowlands ... unreal
People can do what they want.
I just don't feel the new building is a destination of any kind.
You goto keeneland and del mar and the track is in itself something.
The new building is by no means something you would goto.
But if you enjoy it more power to you.
Ill attend again if someone I know has a horse in a big race aside form that not interested in going again.
Its called an opinion.
I have no animosity at all.
I do find it funny that some of their management and some of the fans think there is some entitlement about it all.
The new building is not a good horse racing experience and the racing is mediocre at best now. Racng for 9,000$ purses.
They have big pools so that's a good thing.
The people were very nice and I wish them all the best.
This is my opinion.
On the Meadowlands.
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I know 8 people who have gone from Maryland up there and 4 of them will never go back. 2 of them liked it.
I used to go up on a semi regular basis.
I enjoyed it.
I am not happy that's over.
Would rather goto chester or Yonkers to watch racing in person.
The title of this thread is thoughts and observations on the Meadowlands.
What does Rosecroft have to do with any of that?
rosecroft sucks.
OK and?
It is what it is.
My thoughts and observations.
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I was hoping for a better review of the new Big M because I know Yonkers is a piss hole.
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I was hoping for a better review of the new Big M because I know Yonkers is a piss hole.
Say what you want about the racing there, but I'd hardly call the new Yonkers a piss hole. Very nice club house and you can easily get a good seat and watch the races there. I'm very surprised at the many negative reviews about the new Big M facility. Only way I'd go there now is if one of my buddies has a horse in a big race there.
Sure, Gural may get slots,purses may go up, but I doubt that will lead to any expansion of racing. Once one state makes a drastic cut in racing slot subsidies, it is only a matter of time until politicians in other states set their sights on the same pot of gold. Let's face it, only a small percentage of people are horse racing fans of any type. And, they are a dying breed.
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I was hoping for a better review of the new Big M because I know Yonkers is a piss hole.
Hey everyone.
If you do go go in with an open mind.
Have fun.
The people are nice.
I am very much awaiting Hambo day reviews I cant see how the big days wont be a mess.
I wont post anymore about this because I am not wanting to be overly negative on anything.
I try to be positive about things.