The $88 Million Meadowlands Grandstand That Was Built To Make Harness Horse Racing Cool Again
Here's the new grandstand from the track side. It's sleeker, with more windows than the bulky grandstand that debuted in 1976. NFL organizers currently occupy the old building to prepare for the Super Bowl. After that, it will revert to state ownership while the new grandstand operates privately.
Trotters, the owners' club, is one of the few places in the new grandstand with a classic "racetrack" look: stuffed leather chairs and horse paraphernalia are everywhere.
If a horse's owners are at the Meadowlands the night their horse wins a race, their next dinner at Trotters is on the house.
The owners' club also has a swanky bar and a bank of self-betting machines.
A guarded door keeps Trotters exclusive for owners and their guests. The stairs provide easy access to the Winner's Circle by the track.
The racing world is all about exclusivity. Even if you're not an owner, you can rent out one of five private suites for dinner during the evening races.
Every private suite comes with its own grandstand seating.
The new grandstand also has a noise-controlled VIP betting room to allow super-serious bettors the concentration they need.
Pink, the two-tiered public dining room, looks out at the finish line of the mile-long track.
John Wojtaszek is a walkabout teller. "I encourage people and explain the intricacies of betting while I take their bets," Wojtaszek explained.
Guests can also place bets on self-betting machines. There are hundreds all over the building, and they take a minimum bet of $2.
The lounge sees a lot of family action, including dads with their teenage sons.
Victory Sports Bar has a wall of TVs showing horse races across the country. In the spring, the bar will turn into a dance floor. They DJ booth is already constructed.
Behind the bar in Victory is a more low-key dining room for those who don't want to dance.
Races start promptly at 7:15 pm. This is a view of the finish line during the first race from a table at Pink.
Here are the horses lining up to start the second race from the Winner's Circle side of the track. They'll compete even on a snowy night.
I got to present the ceremonial trophy to Yannick Gingras, who drove Celebrity Lovin to victory in 1:57.3 during the second race.
After each race, horses return to the paddock across the track from the finish line to receive a bath.
These are the jog carts lined up before the drivers hitch them to their horses for the race.
Joe Bongiorno, a 20-year-old driver, was just about to head to the track for the fourth race of the evening. His father was a horse trainer in the '80s and his sister works in the marketing department of the Meadowlands. Harness horse racing runs in the family for most of the teams.
Ken Warkentin, a Meadowlands announcer for 24 years, called out what happened in the fourth race. He said Bongiorno was close to placing, but he hesitated at the end.
And here's a full view of the new grandstand at Meadowlands Racetrack.
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