The Meadowlands begins a new program this Friday that they hope will keep the number of horses in the entry box filled each week to maximize wagering. The initiative, announced in conjunction with the approval of the SBOANJ earlier this week, changes the dynamic on how all horses in the race get paid. In the past only the first five horses in each race earned checks. Beginning Friday and through every Meadowlands program during the trial period (until June 1), we will see an entirely new breakdown. For the first time, only the top four horses will share the main portion of the purse, with the conditions calling for the winner of a 10-horse race to earn 46% of the prize pool, the second-place finisher receiving 21%, third worth 9% and fourth-place 6%. The remaining six finishers in the contest will all receive the same 3% of the purse. The 10-horse example provides the most money that will be deducted from the former amounts the top four received, with a near traditional breakdown occurring when the field size is reduced to six – percentages at 50-25-12-7 for the first four finishers and the final two earning 3%. Nick Salvi, stakes coordinator at the Meadowlands, appeared rather enthusiastic about the change and for good reason. "We've been talking about doing something like this for a long time," Salvi said. "Once the stable area at the Meadowlands closed, the burden of stabling elsewhere and shipping in has been on the owner." The fact that in most cases half of the horses entered at the Meadowlands on a given card earn no money is something that Salvi believes not only hurts horsemen on the lower end but compromises the big stables as well. "You need to have these small stables in the business," Salvi said. "If you look at what the expenses are for shipping in from New York or south Jersey with the tolls and the bridges, it's a heavy burden." Salvi pointed out something that is not generally known to the racing public, and it is significant when analyzing the costs involved in racing. "A lot of these trainers are not getting a daily fee and instead are working on deals," Salvi said. In other words, in many cases the trainers are already absorbing a great amount of the costs of racing before the shipping and its costs are weighed into the equation. By offering three percent Salvi doesn't believe anyone will be getting rich off the money but coming home without losing much from a tough night at the track. After Tuesday's first draw (March 12) Salvi reported that the number of entries was nearly identical to the week before when 302 horses dropped in the box for the double-draw and 28 eventual races were carded by racing secretary Scott Warren. When first announced the change was met with a wide spectrum of commentary. Some concluded that awarding money to all horses may lead to horses not necessarily having to try very hard when the post position and competition don't work out as anticipated. This is something Salvi clearly did not agree with. "I just don't see that at all," Salvi said when asked. The feeling is that horses will be just as competitive regardless of the change in purse structure. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Another question was raised about taking money away from the top horses to pay the bottom finishers and whether that may contribute negatively to some horses choosing to race at the Meadowlands versus another track where they may face fewer horses but get the full 50 percent of the winner's share versus say 46 percent. "I really think that’s something that will balance out for the winners," said Salvi on the subject. "Take for example if a horse wins and gets 46 percent and then moves up in class the following week and doesn't finish in the top four. That horse will still get paid three percent of a larger purse instead of zero percent." It's far too early to predict whether this program will generate the numbers that the Meadowlands needs each week to guarantee full fields and competitive racing cards. Salvi and the Meadowlands race office are more than aware of the obstacles right ahead. "Once Chester [Harrah's Philadelphia] opens they draw a lot of the horses from New Jersey," said Salvi. Of course, Harrah's Philadelphia also offers a wider array of classes and conditions, making it far simpler for owners and trainers to find good spots where they race against horses of the same class. This is something that the Meadowlands has trouble competing with since they race but two days a week and have just 28 races (with as many as four reserved for amateur drivers) to offer. While this program may keep the Meadowlands with horses and help defray costs for those trainers on the losing end, I wonder if taking money from the horses that do better and paying more to those who do not is a good idea in general. As far as I can see, it's the trainer's responsibility to enter horses where they believe they can make the most money. If the Meadowlands is the destination, the trainer must be responsible for choosing a class where the horse can finish in the money. With all 10 getting paid, suddenly in-the-money has taken on an entirely new meaning and is no longer an indicator of success. While there may need to be some inducement for trainers to enter horses at the Meadowlands, it doesn't seem quite fair to me that the winners should subsidize the losers at the Meadowlands or any other racetrack. Perhaps somewhere buried beneath the surface when it comes to understanding the plight of some trainers is that the Meadowlands inherently has a problem with filling races in many classes, which forces Scott Warren to combine fields to complete his racing programs. This often means trainers have entered a particular class and were compelled to race against horses they didn't expect to meet. In this case the track is satisfied because 10-horse fields produce larger handles than nine horses or less do, but the trainer and owner, having blindly entered and found themselves overmatched, are forced to pay the consequences. While the "new" plan that has been laid out goes a long way towards helping said trainers now at least not go home empty-handed, it may not change the competitive nature of each race. As with anything new in this sport we're certainly rooting that trainers on the low and high end continue to enter horses at the Meadowlands even after Harrah's Philadelphia opens. Salvi ideally would like to see this experiment last just a little longer if it could. "I would hope we could keep it going through the end of June since we lose a lot of the horsemen to Canada in that month," said Salvi.