Gural: “You're right, I'm being vindictive”

[Gazoo]

March 20, 2015

"Anybody who wants to say I'm vindictive, they're right. I'm really pissed.” That was Meadowlands' chairman Jeff Gural's answer when asked by harnessracing.com Friday about his response to the Hambletonian Society and Woodbine Entertainment Group's (WEG) decision to drop the rule for stallion restrictions. Gural lobbied both groups four years ago for the restrictions that kept star horses on the track after their 3-year-old campaigns.

When learning earlier this week of the Hambletonian Society and WEG's decision to not extend what was a two-year trial period for foals of 2015 and 2016, Gural announced that he was going to expand the restrictions for any horse by a 4-year-old stallion to include all races at not only the Meadowlands but also Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs, both of which he also owns, including stakes, baby races and qualifiers.

"I'm very disappointed. That's why I've changed the rule now so basically you won't be able to race at any of my tracks,” explained Gural. "You're right, I'm being vindictive. I'm just tired of the fact that this place was 48 hours from being closed and I stepped up to the plate and I'm killing myself and losing money, that I have to listen to a bunch of breeders complain to me that I'm hurting them, when the reality is the breeding business is collapsing. They don't understand that if we don't find new people to buy these yearlings, there is no breeding business. I have no idea how to do it other than put a good product out there.

"It's the guy who owns five percent of a stallion, who says, "If we could syndicate that horse I would take that money and buy yearlings with it.' It's the five-percent guy who is complaining. You can't make that up.”

When asked what he believed the down-the-road impact would be with the new restrictions, Gural didn't hesitate to answer.

"I have no idea and I don't really care,” he said. "Do I think someone can sell a yearling that can't race at my three tracks? No. I wouldn't buy a horse like that, why would you? You want to baby race that horse at the Meadowlands. The way I see it, if you want to race in New York or New Jersey, I own the only three tracks that aren't half-mile tracks.”

Gural pointed out declining numbers in mares bred over the past decade and that the tale is told when looking at the average selling price of a yearling.

"I don't get it. In 2003 we bred 25,000 (25,220) mares, last year they bred 12,500 (12,304) mares. That's a 50-percent decline,” said Gural. "In 2000, a yearling sold for $21,800, while last year the average price was $22,300. In 14 years the average price of a yearling went up $500, so no wonder nobody is breeding.

"Why not wait to see how the Father Patrick experiment works out? And I've added the Graduate Series (for 4 year olds) where everybody said I had to race it early.”

Gural said the Meadowlands currently has 61 stakes races with total purses of $12.8 million. He said he personally is providing most of the funding for the TVG Series in the fall.

"The TVG races, the added money is my money. Not TVG,” he said. "I put in $500,000 out of my pocket for the TVG Series to try and get more races for older horses. That's a lot of money. TVG gave me $500,000 to do whatever I wanted. I could use it to cover the losses. Instead I'm putting it in so that we have an extra incentive for the older horses to race. So it's my money out of my pocket, plain and simple. Does any other track owner you know of who takes $500,000 out of his pocket and puts it into stakes.”

Gural also noted the recent announcement that the Association of Racing Commissioners International would be setting a uniform approach on the use of cobalt at its meeting in late April.

"There are trainers racing at Yonkers, Pocono and Philadelphia that I caught red-handed using cobalt,” said Gural. "One trainer I caught twice poisoning horses. We knowingly allow trainers who are caught poisoning horses to race. Has anybody called to ask me? No, because nobody cares.”

[pezz97]

That was one of the things he was trying to do I loved. Sucks.

[tonyb147]

That was one of the things he was trying to do I loved. Sucks.

I love a lot of the things he is/was trying, but I think it's too late to save the sport anyway. Times change, and the sport hasn't kept up.

[The Skipper]

I love a lot of the things he is/was trying, but I think it's too late to save the sport anyway. Times change, and the sport hasn't kept up.

  Sad, but those are the facts. I don't have any good thoughts about Gural at this point 

[LVGaryD]

Let's face it-Gural's primary interest in saving the Meadowlands was probably not harness racing. He wants to get slots approved at the Big M, and then  the whining will cease.

I do think he might have some noble feelings for the sport, but acting like a know it all dictator is not helping a lot.

[careless hal]

Fans may like seeing the 4 yr olds race.  Understand this. Harness racing is not about the fans.  It is about distributing slot money to the tracks, owners and trainers and drivers.  There are not enough fans left for anyone to give a damn about them.  Who knows, the folks may grow tired of slots and casinos and in 10 years there may be an influx of new fans.  In the meantime, I have never seen one idea that would work to increase the fan base.  Many cling to the idea that if only there were better marketing plans things would change.  Sorry ,no dice.   

[CyberChamp]

I give Gural credit for "saving" the Meadowlands. However, it appears that his efforts won't be enough. He had to have realized that Christie won't give him slots, the governor is loyal to Atlantic City, although that will likely dry up soon.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that Gural has a backup plan. The poor quality of racing still generates the handle, but at some point he will lose the loyalty of the rest of us...and perhaps even the drivers too.

I'm sure things would be different with slots, but it still won't address the main issue: there aren't enough new players and fans to harness racing. And unfortunately, nothing of significance is being done to change that. (Let's face it, poker night at the Meadowlands takes attention away from the racing product.)

Two ideas that I think can help the situation:
1. Offer a handicapping area where an expert capper can offer advice on how to bet a race when there is 5 MTP. Picking a winner only goes so far. The novice player needs to know how to wager in order to increase his potential return. WPS just isn't enough because those low odds are boring.
2. Offer a unique type of wager or elimination type of tournament where there would be a significant payout offered nightly. The goal is to generate some excitement with the younger crowd even if it's a quick pick or "squares" type of pool.

[pezz97]

I give Gural credit for "saving" the Meadowlands. However, it appears that his efforts won't be enough. He had to have realized that Christie won't give him slots, the governor is loyal to Atlantic City, although that will likely dry up soon.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that Gural has a backup plan. The poor quality of racing still generates the handle, but at some point he will lose the loyalty of the rest of us...and perhaps even the drivers too.

I'm sure things would be different with slots, but it still won't address the main issue: there aren't enough new players and fans to harness racing. And unfortunately, nothing of significance is being done to change that. (Let's face it, poker night at the Meadowlands takes attention away from the racing product.)

Two ideas that I think can help the situation:
1. Offer a handicapping area where an expert capper can offer advice on how to bet a race when there is 5 MTP. Picking a winner only goes so far. The novice player needs to know how to wager in order to increase his potential return. WPS just isn't enough because those low odds are boring.
2. Offer a unique type of wager or elimination type of tournament where there would be a significant payout offered nightly. The goal is to generate some excitement with the younger crowd even if it's a quick pick or "squares" type of pool.

he told him he would have to wait 5 years. This is year 4 and there will be something on the ballot in November about the Meadowlands getting a casino. It is expected to pass in a landslide and he will get what he wants

[CyberChamp]

I hope that's true and I hope it means bigger purses and higher quality racing. Otherwise, I'm going to throw in the towel and bet exclusively on WEG.

[Gazoo]

he told him he would have to wait 5 years. This is year 4 and there will be something on the ballot in November about the Meadowlands getting a casino. It is expected to pass in a landslide and he will get what he wants

There will be a casino but im betting it wont be his .

[NIATROSS]

hard to find a better location in jersey for a casino

[jordanjacob]

referendum will be on the ballot in November and will easily pass to allow casino's outside of AC with a certain percentage of the profits directed at AC much like slots to purses to make AC a vacation destination resort and rebuild it plus lower property taxes

if JG does not get the license at The Meadowlands the state of NJ has to reimburse him 110% of his funds spent building the track, etc

JG also offered a substantially higher tax rate for a casino than AC casinos pay

they can also issue casino licenses to other parties in other areas in the state (Freehold, Jersey City, etc)

NY has many different locations with casino's and racino's (Batavia, Vernon, Finger Lakes, Buffalo, Yonkers, Monticello, Saratoga Harness, Tioga, Aqueduct, Indian reservations) plus slot machine parlors were also approved in Nassau and Suffolk Counties

there is a real opportunity to offer numerous gaming licenses in NJ while giving JG a spot to keep racing there

the odds of him receiving that dream license is over 50 - 50 as the state would have to repay him a large amount plus incur job losses

[maywoodmaniac]

JJ is absolutely correct. Gural is no. 1 a successful businessman and he has things covered in case he doesn't get a casino in NJ.

And I believe he's doing all he can for harness racing, and that Gov. Fatburger would have closed the place if Gural didn't step up. The game was going in the wrong direction and he committed dollars, time and energy to do "the right thing" for the sport. It's one of a few that aren't welfare tracks.

Many of you have mentioned why things haven't worked out and you are correct. Personally I think his team isn't strong enough to get the job done; they either are Yes men or Jeff doesn't listen and does it his way. He builds a new $80 million building but can only draw 3,000 on a Saturday night? It's like having your favorite team win the division during the regular season but blowing out in the first round of the playoffs.

Thirty five years ago NASCAR was literally spinning its wheels. Marketing saved them and if the Big M is going to thrive, marketing the casino and track will be necessary. Doing the same old, same old doesn't work anywhere, and harness racing never has learned that lesson.

I haven't bet a dime on their product since the end of January. I didn't have time in February but this month the quality of each and every Saturday card has gotten worse, so I have focused on the Triple Crown races. The best drivers are gone until May with the Levy series and I have no interest gambling on Ginsburg, McCarthy and others like them.

[The Skipper]

There will be a casino but im betting it wont be his .

Do all of your IQ tests come back negative ? 

[Gazoo]

Do all of your IQ tests come back negative ? 

Wanna make a side bet ?