Meadowlands Racetrack facts for kids
The Meadowlands Racetrack Grandstand
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| Location | East Rutherford, New Jersey United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°49′6.62″N 74°4′23.69″W / 40.8185056°N 74.0732472°W |
| Owned by | New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC |
| Date opened | September 1, 1976 |
| Race type | Harness Thoroughbred |
| Notable races | Hambletonian Stakes, The Meadowlands Pace, The Cane Pace. |
The Meadowlands Racetrack, also called Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment, is a famous place for horse racing in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It's part of the Meadowlands Sports Complex. People often call it "The Big M."
At the Meadowlands, you can watch two main types of horse races:
- Thoroughbred racing: This is what most people think of when they imagine horse racing. A jockey rides a horse at top speed around a track.
- Harness racing: In this type, a driver sits in a small, two-wheeled cart called a "sulky" behind the horse. The horse pulls the sulky and driver around the track.
The Meadowlands has horse races all year long. It also has places to eat and hang out.
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History of the Big M
The Meadowlands Racetrack first opened in the mid-1970s. The very first harness race happened on September 1, 1976. Thoroughbred races started a bit later, on September 6, 1977.
Usually, thoroughbred races are held in the autumn. Harness races, which feature standardbred horses, happen during the rest of the year.
The Meadowlands is known for its fast harness races. The track has wide curves and long straight parts. On opening night, a horse named Rambling Willie set a new speed record for harness racing in New Jersey. Later, in 2019, a horse named Lather Up set a world record for a mile by a standardbred horse.
Since 1981, the Meadowlands Racetrack has hosted the Hambletonian Stakes. This is a very important race for trotting horses. It's the first part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters. Since 2015, the track has also hosted the Cane Pace, which is the first part of the Pacing Triple Crown.
Who Runs the Track?
New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC operates the track. Jeff Gural became the CEO and chairman in December 2011.
The person who calls the races and announces them is Ken Warkentin. Before him, Sam McKee was the announcer for many years. He was very popular until he passed away in 2017.
Changes and New Ideas
In July 2009, a train line called the Meadowlands Rail Line opened. It helps people get to events at the complex.
There have been talks about changing the racetrack. Some people wanted to turn it into a track for NASCAR car races. However, these plans did not happen.
In December 2011, the racetrack became a private business. Jeffrey Gural took over. He spent $110 million to make big improvements. This included building a brand new grandstand. A grandstand is the main building where people sit to watch the races.
The old grandstand closed for racing on November 2, 2013. The new grandstand cost $110 million and can seat 2,200 people. It opened on November 23, 2013, with about 15,000 people there to see it.
In 2018, the Meadowlands hosted a championship motorcycle race called the AMA Pro American Flat Track Championship.
Also in 2018, the Meadowlands opened a sportsbook. This is a place where people can legally place bets on sports events. It's run by a company called FanDuel.
Track Features
The main dirt track at the Meadowlands is 1 mile (about 1.6 kilometers) long. Inside this track is a grass course, which is 7 furlongs (about 1.4 kilometers) long. Thoroughbred horses use the grass course.
The track is designed so that the distance from the last turn to the finish line is about 3/16 of a mile (about 300 meters). The main track is 90 feet (about 27 meters) wide. The grass course is 80 feet (about 24 meters) wide. Most races at the Meadowlands happen at night because the track has special lights.
In the middle of the track, there is a lake. It is shaped like the state of New Jersey!
The new grandstand is very large, covering 180,000 square feet (about 16,700 square meters). It has four floors. The area in front of the grandstand can hold up to 10,000 people.
Getting There
The Meadowlands Racetrack is easy to reach. It's near Exit 16W on the New Jersey Turnpike. You can also get there from New Jersey Route 3 and New Jersey Route 120.
If you don't have a car, NJ Transit offers bus service. You can take the 160 bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. The 703 bus also goes there.
You can also take the train on the Meadowlands Rail Line to the Meadowlands station.
Important Races
The Meadowlands has hosted many important horse races over the years. A "stakes race" is a special race where horses compete for a prize that includes money from the owners who entered their horses.
Past Thoroughbred Stakes Races
Before the 1990s, the Meadowlands held these thoroughbred stakes races. Some of them later moved to another track called Monmouth Park:
- Grade III – Meadowlands Cup
- Grade III – Cliff Hanger Stakes
- Grade III – Pegasus Stakes
- Grade III – Violet Handicap
- former Grade III - Morven Stakes
Standardbred Stakes Races
From November until the Hambletonian in August, the Meadowlands hosts many stakes races for standardbred horses:
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Images for kids
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The current Meadowlands Grandstand at Sunset
