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25-591: The event was inaugurated as the Meadowlands Cup and held at the Meadowlands Racetrack on 29 October 1977 and was won by Pay Tribute who was trained by the Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. by 3 ⁄ 4 lengths in a time of 2:02 + 3 ⁄ 5 over the 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles distance. The event was the signature event at

50-525: 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 Lather Up, driven by Montrell Teague in

75-526: Is an American announcer and sportscaster , best known for his work in horse racing with ABC and NBC Sports and at various race tracks in New York and New Jersey . He also called races in California. His signature line — "And down the stretch they come!" — is instantly recognizable throughout the sport, and is often imitated by comedians , notably David Letterman . From 1972 to 1977, Johnson

100-542: Is expected to run daily upon completion of the nearby American Dream Meadowlands . Speedway Motorsports, the Marcus Smith-headed company that owns motor racing venues founded by his father , has long had his sights on Meadowlands Racetrack for possible conversion into a short track venue for NASCAR events in the New York City area. His most recent of several attempts to purchase the track failed in

125-404: Is known popularly in the region as "The Big M". Meadowlands has year-round horse racing as well as a number of bars and restaurants. 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

150-546: The Late Show with David Letterman on the day prior to the Kentucky Derby, performing a sound bite of his signature phrase "...and down the stretch they come!" Johnson portrayed himself as the track announcer at Belmont Park in the film Ruffian , about the famous match race in 1975 in which the filly Ruffian broke down as she raced Foolish Pleasure . This American horse racing biographical article

175-718: The Meadowlands Rail Line at the Meadowlands station . Up until the 1990s, The Meadowlands held these thoroughbred stakes races, some of which were moved to Monmouth Park: From November until the first Saturday of August, in addition to the Hambletonian and Meadowlands Pace , the Meadowlands Racetrack also hosts a variety of other stakes races for standardbreds: Dave Johnson (announcer) Dave Johnson (born May 25, 1941)

200-699: The 2019 Graduate, matched Always B Miki's time at the Red Mile in Lexington. In 2023, Confederate set a new world record with a mile in 1:46.1 seconds. The Meadowlands Racetrack has been the site of the Hambletonian , the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown , since 1981. It has also been home to the Cane Pace, the first leg of Harness Racing's Pacing Triple Crown since 2015 with the Cane run on

225-540: The Meadowlands Mile, joins Turf Paradise , The Red Mile , Remington Park , and Canterbury Park as horse racing tracks that will run the series in 2018. In June 2018, Paddy Power Betfair announced that it had partnered with Meadowlands to open a sportsbook at the track, following the state's legalization of sports betting (as facilitated by the result of Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association ). The sportsbook opened on July 14, 2018, under

250-584: The Meadowlands track with its high stakes attracting class horses. Within two years when champion three-year-old Spectacular Bid won the event in stakes record time it was classed as Grade II . The event was upgraded to Grade I in 1983. The event was decreased to its present 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles distance in 1990. That year's running posed one of the largest upsets in North American racing history when Great Normand won at 181-1 odds. There

275-466: The branding of FanDuel , a daily fantasy sports service recently acquired by the company. Like many racecourses in the United States, the main (dirt) track at the Meadowlands has a 1-mile (1,609 m) circumference; inside of this is a turf course (used by the thoroughbreds only) which is 7 furlongs (1,408 m). With a span of exactly 3 ⁄ 16 mile (302 m) from the top of

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300-461: The late 1990s. A report issued in January 2010 by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie discussed the idea of closing the Meadowlands Racetrack and selling it for commercial development or converting it into a NASCAR facility. Governor Christie has considered selling or leasing the racetrack to a private operator or closing it altogether. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority privatized

325-529: The middle of the track is a lake, intended to resemble the state of New Jersey. The old grandstand, horse barns and site, was designed by the Philadelphia architectural firm of EwingCole (now known as Ewing Cole Cherry Brott), who also designed a number of other track facilities around the world as well as Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (with Populous ). The new grandstand opened for simulcasting on Monday, November 18, 2013. The official unveiling of

350-414: The new grandstand was on November 23, 2013, for first night of live fall harness racing. The collaborative production by managing partner Jeff Gural and The Hard Rock spans 180,000 square feet across four floors and includes a track apron that holds up to 10,000 people. Notable drivers in attendance included John Campbell, Yannick Gingras, Scott Zeron and Tim Tetrick. Famed pacer Gallo Blue Chip kicked off

375-486: The old Meadowlands grandstand occurred in 2022 after hosting the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) Information technology (IT) hub and New Jersey State Police infrastructure for several years. The Meadowlands was announced to host the championship final for the 2018 AMA Pro American Flat Track Championship motorcycle racing series, scheduled for October 6. The event, to be designated as

400-659: The racetrack, to Jeffrey Gural of Newmark Knight Frank in December 2011. The privatization included $ 110 million of improvements consisting of a new 2,250-seat grandstand and clubhouse, designed by CGL Architects, built on the site of the former backstretch . The existing grandstand was used as an event space for Super Bowl XLVIII . The old Meadowlands grandstand closed for racing on November 2, 2013. The new grandstand, which cost $ 110 million to build and can seat 2,200, opened for racing on November 23, 2013, with an estimated crowd of 15,000 in attendance. Demolition of

425-706: The racing action with a ribbon cutting ceremony across the finish line. Like the rest of the sports complex, Meadowlands Racetrack is accessible via Exit 16W on the western spur of the New Jersey Turnpike ( I-95 ) which is located adjacent to NJ Route 3 and NJ Route 120 . NJ Transit provides bus service on the 160 from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the 703 on the Haledon/Paterson/East Rutherford route. NJ Transit also provides rail service on

450-567: 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

475-496: The same program as the Hambletonian. Leading drivers in recent seasons have included Ron Pierce, Brian Sears, George Brennan, and Tim Tetrick. The track is operated by New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC with Jeff Gural as its CEO and chairman. Gural took over operations of the Meadowlands in December 2011. Ken Warkentin is the current race caller and announcer for the standardbred Meadowlands meets. Matt Dinerman currently calls

500-439: The stretch to the finish line and a distance of exactly 1 ⁄ 16 mile (101 m) from the finish line to the beginning of the first (clubhouse) turn, the dimensions of the track are considered "typical" or "standard" for an American racetrack. The main track is 90 feet (27 m) wide, while the width of the turf course is 80 feet (24 m). The track is equipped to race at night and most of its races are at night. In

525-427: The thoroughbred meet. Sam McKee was also the track announcer until he suffered a stroke days after calling what no one knew at the time would be the last card he ever would call on January 21, 2017, and he died on March 7, 2017. Veteran sportscaster Dave Johnson , was the track's lead public-address announcer from its opening until the early 2000s. In July 2009, the Meadowlands Rail Line opened for event service, but

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550-599: The three spring classics for radio, on Premiere Radio Networks and Westwood One . Johnson has also worked on horse racing telecasts for ESPN . In 2007, Johnson missed calling the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs for the first time since 1977, when the rights shifted from Westwood One to ESPN Radio . He was replaced on the broadcast by Churchill's public address announcer, Luke Kruytbosch . Johnson has also done commercials , both on camera and voice-over, for Mobil Oil and various New York-area businesses. In 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, Johnson made voice appearances on

575-473: Was no race held in 1997 or 2011. The race was downgraded from a Grade II to a Grade III in 2017, and the purse was reduced to $ 100,000 from the previous $ 200,000. The event was moved to Monmouth Park in 2010 and was renamed to the Monmouth Cup Stakes . Sharp Azteca's win in 2017 set a track record at Monmouth for the distance of 1 + 1 ⁄ 16 miles, beating Formal Gold 's 1:40.20 that

600-683: Was set in August 1997. Speed record: Most wins: Most wins by a jockey : Most wins by a trainer : Most wins by an owner: Notes: § Ran as an entry Meadowlands Racetrack The Meadowlands Racetrack (currently referred to as Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment ) 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

625-780: Was the public address announcer for the tracks of the New York Racing Association . In 1977 he moved to the new Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey , calling both Thoroughbred and harness racing . He maintained his Meadowlands schedule into the early 21st century. Johnson called the Kentucky Derby for ABC Sports from 1978 to 1980 and 1987 to 2000, and the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes from 1987 to 2000. Even though Johnson's Triple Crown TV spot went to Tom Durkin when televising rights shifted from ABC to NBC, he has continued to call

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