Meadowlands Racetrack - Documentary

Produced in 2001..
Join host Dave Johnson for a look back at the history of the "Big M", the great races and the compelling personalities that are woven into the fabric of the Meadowlands Racetrack.
See both Thoroughbred and Standardbred greats in this thrilling feature commemorating some of the legends who've come through the Meadowlands on their way to greatness.

[@williamgallucci9913]

So many great memories from my racetrack

[@thekid1921]

Thank you so much for your superb post!!!! I am sure this took time to write, well done!!!! The Big M is legendary!!!!

[@taxisteve929]

When I watch this video and think about where harness racing is now, it makes me want to cry. I was lucky enough to be there from the start, and for some reason I stopped going to the track around 1994, went this past Hambletonian day 2017 not knowing they had built a new grandstand, and was just in shock staring across at the giant mausoleum I had hoped to rekindle some old memories in, visiting the different sections I had watch the races from which changed every year or two, and have access to the paddock through the grandstand apron at the top of the stretch. It seems that all the greats are retired or have moved on or died, from my time in the game anyway. It seemed like you always had money back then. Could go to the track 4 to 7 times a week leaving out of a nightclub, and then go back to the nightclub after the races, pockets never empty, or if they were, there was always a way to hustle a few bucks if you needed it for a few drinks till the paycheck got there. The latest depressing thing was when I looked for any videos on showplace farms in Millstone, where I spent a lot of time at barn H where my friend Kelvin Harrison was stabled, he had the entire barn. I remember one Benny Webster was there early on, Dave and Steve Elliott had horses there, Bobby Bongiorno was at the next barn next to Red, and I see his kid has become a really good driver. I have nothing against these new drivers, they are aggressive top notch drivers, with a tremendous heart and need to win, and they make the race is exciting. I also like their interaction with the fans whether they are making a video about a day in the life of harness racing or just all of the interview shows they have now. I guess it's all just part of getting old, but seeing showplace farms was torn down after being auctioned off piece by piece a few years ago really hit me. Made me think of all the times I spent there with Vinny Grenda, the Big V, lol, Russell Pierce was a really good guy who I became close with. I used to always show up with a case of beer or two or three to have after work, as I said we had plenty of money and the beers were just there because I didn't like to drink alone. Both Vinny and Russell have passed away. All the people I saw a common goal in those years, Berdeki the blacksmith, The people worked at the prancing pony, saw some great sire stakes racing there. Buddy Gilmour, as well as his brothers George, Lloyd, and John have passed away and more recently Herve Filion. It's great that we have all of these old videos online to bring back the memories, but I think it can also make it more difficult knowing that those days are gone, and you start to ask why? Why is racing so dead? I know the casinos took the biggest bite, as well as all of these lottery rub off's that are sold to satisfy people's need for action and quick money. But these are people who never got their feet wet in a harness and thoroughbred racing, because if they ever bet the horses, and really learned the fun of buying the racing form or the program the night before and spending the day trying to figure out how the races were going to go, and then watching those exciting two minutes, they would know there is no comparison between gambling on races and gambling on those coin flip games. Well I rambled on as usual, and I know I didn't mention 200 people I could have that made those times fantastic, but I do have to mention a couple more. Ray Brienza. Horse racing was always pushed to the back of the sports page, but Ray Brienza, Jack Leahey, (sp), Jerry Eisenberg during triple crowns, always provided exciting articles. The Star-Ledger had a spot at the Meadowlands pushing people to get their newspaper on Hambo Day, and I thought that was funny because aside from the full-page ads that that race track paid the star ledger for, there had not been a single article about the Hambletonian leading up to the race, and even on Hambletonian day, there was nothing, nothing at all in the newspaper saying that today was Hambletonian day. We have guys like Hollywood Hayden who are good writers, and provide some nice stuff for online readers. Can't they take something from what he has done online and send it to the Star-Ledger for publication? The sports page has become a joke, and I'm sure they would love to have an article about harness racing at least once a week, and preferably two or more times. Somehow we have to get across to the younger people that it is exciting. They let it fall all the way to where it is now, most likely greed with everybody wanting a piece of the pie, and the athletes and those who take care of them and race them not getting enough. We definitely need the money from the slots now to bring the purses up to compete with Yonkers and other racinos. Screw Atlantic City! It tried to screw every race track in New Jersey seeing them as competition, and now that they are fighting for their life, pull the fucking and give us back our solid horse racing which survived for many many years without Atlantic City. Take some of the money from the lottery too, and send that to the race tracks. They employ thousands of people and although we will never be back where we were, we deserve to have the best racing in the country, the best breeding of standard bred horses, and many farms operating. The state has become the biggest bookie, years ago telling people the horrors of gambling, while now they play the song I'm looking over a four leaf clover while they ask what would you do with $1 million. Maybe they could take some of that money and put it back into the sport that was here for a couple hundred years before the lottery and casino gambling Took their revenue. Some people may like the bright lights and a constant noise of the pinball machine's at Atlantic City, but for my money, and I think others if they are only given the chance to experience it, relaxing with the past performances while hearing the hoofbeats in the background as horses warm up for later races, and the excitement of the actual race wins hands-down.

[@jamuga60]

Bravo.

[@johnkelso799]

Were you friends w/ Jay Russo,Joe Molnar ? Jay had horses in the same barn as Jerry Evilsizor @ ShowPlace.

[@parkerbohnn]

I knew hundreds of people from the racetrack. One was a hitman that was Henry he was the guy who always said what horse is that? He warmed up the best! Henry was on welfare and got thrown out of America for killing a guy who didn't pay his debts to a loan shark. A few were postmen. One guy's name was Barrel Beans who went to retard school. It took him 9 years to finally figure out they lined up in the gate from 1 to 8. He always bought a program but with about a minute to post each race he went into a trance and stared at the odds board. He hadn't a clue and always ended up betting the favourite who always got stiffed decades before they put in slot machines at Greenwood racetrack. Another guy name Ken Green his nickname was Smokey he lived under a car yes under a car not in a car. He died of throat cancer at age 34. His mother lived in a bus shelter along with his sister and two cats in a baby carriage. They used to come to the racetrack to stuff tickets in their coats to keep warm in the winter. Smokey always smoked a cigar but never inhaled he always lost to Paul the postman in table hockey across the street at the Orchard Park Tavern because he always had to take the cigar out of his mouth white he was playing table hockey. Smokey was strictly a show bettor. Another postman named Sid could walk forty miles an hour and did eventually go in the Olympics for walking and won a silver medal for Canada. He smoked about a pack a day and never gave up smoking when he competed. I was a regular at the track and the Orchard Park tavern across the street. I only lost twice in forty years playing one ball against three on the pinball machines in the Orchard Park Tavern. I was a former 6 time world pinball champion.

[@rentslave]

I was there on the first night in 1976 and on the last night in 2013.

[@christopherbellore3511]

The Sport of Kings 👑. I make this comment in memory of my Uncle Carmen; He took me to the Big M often, and we had lots of memories of some Big wins. Who can forget the pastrami, clam chowder, buttery corn on the cob, and vanilla custard!!??!! Great times, Great fellowship, Great Atmosphere. R.I.P. Uncle Carmen

[@billparker1760]

Expertly done! A great watch!

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

Spent many an evening in those seats and outdoors, or in the restaurants, since Med was only a ten-minute busride from Port Authority, with buses every fifteen minutes, so you could go anytime unlike the other tracks. Sucked that OTB didn't take them.

[@TheTonybova24]

good video......

[@rstefanie2622]

I was actively involved attending & betting those early years at the Meadowlands. Attended opening night. Used to go 4-5 times a week even though I was a thoroughbred player/fan. Stopped going after attending 1 night in the mid-90s when I looked around and the place was going to the dogs. Half the grandstand closed off. Seedy clientele. Racing was deteriorating. And here we are. 2 nights a week. Old grandstand gone. Pathetic outcome to say the least.

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

My late father was a profitable horseplayer until this track opened up.

[@parkerbohnn]

I can say I actually made well over a million dollars betting the races before Ron Waples senior went down to the Meadowlands. I started losing after the Canadian government upped their tax take around 1984 and then started betting Canadian races from the Fort Erie American side of the border. I killed them on maiden races the past year and half at Mohawk. Covid helped me that way at least since the track was closed for so long. I never thought I'd see the day they ran honest races but quite a while back they put slot machines in Woodbine and Mohawk. Obviously they told the drivers not to quote drive away the bettors from the slot machines by running fixed races. My grandfather owned 26 thoroughbred horses that use to run at old Woodbine. He stopped at 26 because all he did was drink 26ers of whisky. He named all his horses after drinks or booze companies.

[@Bob-xt2on]

Even this place destroyed . Thoroughbred Racing was great there.

[@victormorales4507]

Why did they stop horse racing there? Can someone explain please

[@sleepyjoe1484]

What are talking about? The Meadowlands is still open.

[@victormorales4507]

@@sleepyjoe1484 for standard breed only .! Thoroughbred don’t race there any more

[@user-pg5mi9hc5b]

The original Big M was the best place in the world to race horses then the first thing the they did was demolish the barn area to build a new grandstand, what was wrong with the original grandstand? The new facility is a joke, just a front for sports betting,so sad 😭😭😭

[@zipchtkdn7804]

Now the tracks a dump.