Every once in a while I’m still surprised by something that occurs in harness racing, only this time it did not happen on the track or even on the backstretch. On Saturday April 28 I was at The Meadowlands to participate in the World Harness Handicapping Championship (I’ll have more on that later). I’ve certainly been to the new building a few dozen times for live racing since it opened in 2013, but I’m almost always working and hardly paying attention to the off-the-track action. What I witnessed on this random Saturday was a mostly packed clubhouse filled with a relatively young and energetic crowd, despite the fact that rain was in the forecast for the evening hours and came down for a good portion of the card. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see that many people or such a large group of under-50 types. Now I’m sure some of these people were just hanging out or wagering small sums of money, but just having the good vibe in the building was nice. People were enjoying themselves, drinking, eating, watching, etc. I asked GM/COO Jason Settlemoir about the crowd and he explained that it was typical for a warm Saturday night this time of year. That gives me some hope that people will come to the track. How to get them to bet more is another question. I saw a father with his two kids hanging out on the rail by the finish line. Since I overheard him saying this was their first time to the track, I asked why he brought them. He said they went to the circus and he figured it was free to show them the horses. “They are going to love it once they see a race,” said the man. Although die-hards are going to hate this, maybe having events, like food trucks and racing camels, does make sense to get people in the building to spend money. If they bet, great! If not, at least they are spending some money. The entire food court was closed on Saturday. I couldn’t help but think that area would be well served as more of an entertainment area . . . think Dave & Busters. Wouldn’t it be more palatable to bring the family to the track if there was a sectioned off area where they could “go wild” in a high end gaming area? Wouldn’t people show up just to visit the video gaming attraction? Isn’t it possible that a few people may venture onto the track apron and see the horses race? Could they become interested and make a bet? Or become an owner? It is pretty obvious that tracks can’t sustain on racing alone, but just as obvious that people will come to the track if given a reason. Rather than place all of their eggs in the casino basket, providing other forms of entertainment seems like a natural step to make. Video games, laser tag, trampoline areas, rock walls, and virtual reality all seem like good additions to a new track experience. Handicapping championship woes My first experience playing in the World Harness Handicapping Championship will certainly be a memorable one. Getting right to the point, 118 players signed up with the top 10 earning prize money. I finished 11th! Not only that, I only missed 10th by $9 in a contest based on profit from an initial $300 bankroll. It was a tough pill to swallow knowing that any number of small decisions made during the night likely contributed to missing a $1,900 payday. I took solace in the fact that many decisions I made also played a large role in getting me to that point. Speaking of those decisions, Saturday’s contest was a clinic in why you need to be open-minded when handicapping. Two of the horses which placed me into contention were not my top selections and one of them I actually graded fifth when first looking over the card on Thursday. One of the reasons for my change of heart was due to the skies opening up for the third race. When The Meadowlands surface picks up rain it can play extremely fast, producing quick early fractions and setting up off the pace winners. Another key to my Saturday handicapping was watching the horses post parade and warm up. Spending so many hours watching races online, as is the trend now, you forget how much valuable information is available at the track. I was able to pick out a number of horses which either looked a bit “off” or seemed “full of themselves” when on the track prior to their races. One more benefit to being at the track was a lack of distraction. There was no movie on in the background, or kids yelling, or fantasy baseball team to distract my attention from the task at hand – picking winners. I knew prior to every race which horses were of interest to me, I evaluated their appearance, I re-examined the past performances and made my way to the windows. The contest itself was run smoothly and I have to commend the staff at The Meadowlands. My only complaint would be the location of the Gallery, which is a large conference-type room in the back part of the clubhouse. I’d like to see the event hosted in the luxury suites on the third floor which overlook the track. When I’m at the track I want to SEE the races.  It was great that the number of people increased for the third straight year, from 83 in 2016 to 118 this year. Clearly having contests available online is proving to be a boon for this Championship and hopefully we’ll continue to see this growth.