Meadowlands Racetrack
Old grandstand, 2011
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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°WCoordinates: 40°49′6.62″N 74°4′23.69″W / 40.8185056°N 74.0732472°W |
| Owned by | State of New Jersey & Operated by New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority |
| Date opened | September 1, 1976 |
| Race type |
Harness Thoroughbred |
| Course type | Flat |
| Notable races | Hambletonian Stakes, The Meadowlands Pace, The Cane Pace. |
| Official website | |
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing. It is known popularly in the region as "The Big M".
Opened in the mid 1970s, Meadowlands Racetrack held its first-ever harness race on September 1, 1976, while thoroughbred racing commenced on September 6, 1977. With the exception of the opening season of 1976, autumn has been dedicated to the thoroughbreds, while the rest of the year features standardbreds, or harness horses.
The advertising campaign that accompanied the start of thoroughbred racing at the Meadowlands in 1977 was noted for its use of the slogan "Racing with the Moon", originally popularized in 1941 by bandleader Vaughn Monroe (alluding to the fact that post-time is in the evening – a circumstance that still pertains, although afternoon programs during long holiday weekends are occasionally put on). More recent advertising campaigns have included a direct and catchy approach to attending live racing: "It's All About Being Here – The Meadowlands!"
With its sweeping curves and wide stretches, the "Big M" has been known for exceptional times for harness racing. Opening night at the track featured the fastest harness mile run in New Jersey to that time, 1:55 3⁄5 by Rambling Willie. The world record for a mile by a standardbred, 1:46 4⁄5 by Holborn Hanover, in rein to George Brennan, was established at the track on August 5, 2006 in a division of the U.S. Pacing Championship.
The Meadowlands Racetrack has been the site of the Hambletonian, the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown, since 1981.
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Wikipedia