Meadowlands Raceway

Meadowlands Raceway

Meadowlands Raceway is a harness and thoroughbred racing facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is one of the East Coast's most prominent horse racing tracks.

A two-track facility, it hosts some of the nation's most prestigious racing stakes, including the Meadowlands Pace, the Woodrow Wilson, the Stanley Dancer Trot, the New Jersey Classic, Breeders Crown Trot, and the biggest and most respected stakes event in harness racing, the Hambletonian.

Track Facts

Main Track (Harness and Thoroughbred Racing)

Main Track: one mile oval
Length of stretch: 990 feet
Distance from finish line to first turn: 330 feet
Width of stretch: 90 feet
Width of backstretch: 80 feet
Harness Surface: Limestone base and crushed stone dust cushion (Pylons replaced the hub rail in 1991)
Thoroughbred Surface: Sand, clay and loam cushion

Turf Course (Thoroughbred Only)

Track: 7/8 mile oval
Turf races are run on the Main Course (on the rail), the Red Course (10 feet from rail), the White Course (17 feet from rail) and the Blue Course (23 feet from rail)

Backstretch Area

Number of barns: 16
Number of dormitories: 7
Capacity: 1,760 horses, 700 people
Stable Capacity: 1,454 stalls

Meadowlands Records

Pacers

TYPE	HORSE	DRIVER	DATE	TIME
2 year-old colt	Western Shooter	J. Campbell	11/24/01	1:50
2 year-old gelding	Fancy Creek Storm Tyberwood	C. Manzi G. Brennan	7/3/97 6/24/99	1:53 1:53
2 year-old filly	Clover Hanover Worldly Beauty	J. Moiseyev L. Ouellette	8/6/97 11/24/01	1:522 1:522
3 year-old colt	Real Desire McArdle Whatanartist Camelot Hall	J. Campbell M. Lachance B. Sears G. Brennan	8/3/01 8/3/02 7/5/03 7/3/04	1:49 1:49 1:49 1:49
3 year-old filly	Armbro Romance Apple Krisp	J. Campbell C. Manzi	6/27/98 6/18/04	1:494 1:494
3 year-old gelding	Life Source*	H. Parker	8/5/00	1:484
4 year-old horse	Jenna's Beach Boy*	W. Fahy	6/22/96 6/18/04	1:473
4 year-old mare	Loyal Opposition**	G. Brennan	6/18/04	1:484
4 year-old gelding	Color Me Best*	M. Lachance	7/3/99	1:48
older horse	Four Starzzz Shark*	M. Lachance	7/03/04	1:474
older mare	Frightening P*	L. Ouellette	6/21/02	1:484
older gelding	Life Source* Eaton Road Kill**	C. Manzi D. Dube	7/03/04 7/03/04	1:48 1:48

DISTANCE	HORSE	DRIVER	DATE	TIME
1 1/16 miles	Big Tom** Life Source*	J. Campbell D. Miller	7/15/00 6/8/02	1:571 1:571
1 1/16 miles mare	Bunny Lake	J. Stark, Jr.	6/8/02	1:58
1 1/8 miles	Noble Ability*	J. Campbell	7/16/99	2:031
1 1/2 miles	What's Next*	M. McNichol	5/30/87	2:531
2 heats	Magical Mike*	J. Moiseyev	8/6/94	3:41
fastest second heat	Magical Mike*	J. Moiseyev	8/6/94	1:502

Trotters

TYPE	HORSE	DRIVER	DATE	TIME
2 year-old colt	Donerail	J. Campbell	8/2/94	1:554
2 year-old gelding	Shadow	R. Blanton	7/12/00	1:57
2 year-old filly CR	Kay Suzie*	C. Allen	8/3/94	1:551
3 year-old colt	Self Possessed*	M. Lachance	8/7/99	1:513
3 year-old filly	Continental victory*	M. Lachance	8/3/96	1:521
3 year-old gelding	Uhadadream**	D. Dube	7/29/00	1:532
4 year-old horse	Kadabra*	D. Miller	7/25/03	1:513
4 year-old mare	Beat The Wheel*	C. Manzi	7/8/94	1:514
4 year-old gelding	Mister Goal*	J. Campbell	5/7/99	1:522
older horse	Victory Tilly*	S. Johansson	8/3/02	1:504
older mare	Moni Maker*	W. Hennessey	8/5/00	1:521
older gelding	Fool's Goal*	J. Moiseyev	6/29/02 7/27/02	1:513

DISTANCE	HORSE	DRIVER	DATE	TIME
1 1/16 miles	Plesac*	M. Lachance	6/8/02	2:00
1 1/16 miles mare	Emma Hanover*	D. Miller	6/8/02	2:011
1 1/8 miles	B Cor Pete*	H. Parker	4/26/97	2:09
1 1/2 miles	Meadow Road*	T. Jansson	6/17/85	2:573
2 heats	Continental victory*	M. Lachance	8/3/96	3:45
fastest second heat	Continental victory*	M. Lachance	8/3/96	1:524

* World Record for Mile Track
**Co-Holder of World Record for Mile Track

All Age Records

TYPE	HORSE	TIME
Pace	Jenna's Beach Boy	1:473 (M1)
Trot	Victory Tilly	1:504 (M1)

History of Meadowlands Raceway

1976

A crowd of 42,133 attended on opening day. Rambling Willie took the opening night feature in 1:553.
Ray Remmen won the very first race with Quick Baron.

1977

The Meadowlands Pace and the Woodrow Wilson were born. Escort took the inaugural Meadowlands Pace while No No Yankee got the first Woodrow Wilson.

1981

The most esteemed trotting event in the world — the Hambletonian — transferred to the Meadowlands. Ray Remmen guided Shiaway St. Pat to victory on August 8.

1982

The all-time Meadowlands record crowd of 52,974 watched both racing and the Gerry Cooney—Larry Holmes boxing fight on June 11.
On March 28, New Jersey declared simulcasting unconstitutional. It was discontinued on November 5th. However, the voters approved a referendum on simulcasting and it was reinstated on December 3rd.

1987

On August 8th, the horse Mack Lobell dominated the Hambletonian with driver John Campbell. Campbell, in winning the first of a record five Hambletonians, called Mack Lobell the greatest horse he had ever driven. Mack Lobell went on to become a two-time Horse of the Year honoree.

1988

John Campbell won his second straight Hambletonian with Armbro Goal and his third straight driving title.

1990

Beach Towel, with trainer-driver Ray Remmen in the bike, won the Meadowlands Pace on his way to capturing Horse of the Year honors.
John Campbell captured his third Hambletonian with Harmonious.

1992

The new Hambletonian race format was introduced. The three-year-old trotters now raced in eliminations, and the final would determine the winner, regardless of whether he or she won their elimination. The barefoot Alf Palema and Mickey McNichol took the big prize in an upset.

1995

On Meadowlands Pace night, guests wagered a total of $6,771,499 to top all records in the industry, and Hambletonian Day produced the second-highest handle to date at $5,828,749.

1997

Meadowlands Raceway introduced its Championship Meet, featuring more than $13 million in stakes purses.

1998

The Hambletonian Day handle was more than $6.5 million, the highest Hambletonian handle ever and the second highest in harness racing history. Meadowlands Pace night produced a total handle of more than $6.3 million, the third highest handle ever. For the entire meet, the average total harness handle set an all-time high at $3,173,098.
John Campbell won his record fifth Hambletonian with Muscles Yankee and won his 15th Meadowlandsdriving title.

1999

Two industry records at the Hambletonian fell as Self Possessed posted the fastest trotting mile in history with a 1:51.3 victory, and the total handle of $7,218,518 million set the mark as the highest in the sport.
More than $540 million was wagered on 150 dates of Meadowlands harness racing, for an average of $3.6 million daily, a 15% increase from the previous year.

2000

The 2000 Hambletonian drew a crowd of 30,026, the best in six years, and the total wagering of $7,724,420 on the 15-race card was a Hambletonian, Meadowlands and harness racing single-day record.
Hall of Fame driver John Campbell reached $100 million in career earnings at the Meadowlands, an unprecedented achievement for a driver or jockey at a single track.

2001

After runner-up finishes in 1999 and 2000, Campbell rebounded with 211 victories and $6.9 million in earnings for an unprecedented 16th driving title.

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