Harness: Hambletonian Day set the bar for post COVID-19 operations

Another Hambletonian Day is in the books and it certainly was a one that none of us will ever forget.

In the past Hambletonian Day brought a wide range of customers out to The Meadowlands. The "hard-nosed, step over a guy who just fell so I don't get shut out at the window" gamblers were there, but so were the families. The children who wanted their faces painted, to take a ride on a pony or partake in many of the other festivities that Hambletonian Day provided. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, none of those festivities were possible. Despite that, what The Meadowlands and The Hambletonian Society achieved this past weekend was extraordinary.

The Meadowlands is always the center of attention in the harness racing world, but this past weekend they were under a different kind of microscope. Operating with customers on-site, albeit limited to 2,500 patrons, The Meadowlands knew that the eyes of decision makers would be on the East Rutherford oval on their biggest day. Was it strange? Sure. Socially distanced interviews are certainly odd. Having to take separate photos in the winner's circle to limit the number of people at one time was a necessary change as well. In addition, everywhere you looked, there were masks. But when you put all of that together and apply it to the landscape of what is happening in the world right now, what The Meadowlands and The Hambletonian Society accomplished was a tremendous success.

The handle figure was strong, considering the limitations on the on-site attendance, at just over $5.7 Million in North America (the amount wagered through the international export signal is added to this figure at a later date). But that just scratches the surface of the success.

Living in New York City, I can speak of the massive divide in this area regarding how people should be going about their lives right now. There are arguments made from one end of the spectrum to the other. There are people who feel that if you step out of your house before the pandemic is over, you are contributing to the problem. There are people who believe this pandemic is being politicized and we should all be back to our lives. There are also arguments made for every point in between. Operating a business in that type of environment is a challenging thing to say the least.

Watching Hambletonian Day unfold may not have pleased the parties on the extreme ends of the spectrum that I touched upon in the paragraph above, but every logical person who watched that should have applauded the effort. The Meadowlands showed the world how to put on a show that can be enjoyed by many, while simultaneously keeping everyone safe.

In the winner's circle after every race, you couldn't find a person that wasn’t wearing a mask. When shots of the racetrack apron appeared, the sight was the same. Groups were socially distanced from one another and there were masks everywhere. Hambletonian Day may have been the day that everyone focused on, but it was really just the culmination of what The Meadowlands has accomplished since returning to racing.

Since the beginning of July, The Meadowlands has handled $39.1 million in wagers over 12 racing programs. The last 12 racing programs of the 2019 Championship meet produced $35.6 million in handle. That’s a 10 percent year-over-year increase, despite Hambletonian Day being down close to $800,000 year-over-year, an obvious product of the crowd being limited to 2,500 and live handle suffering for that reason. In fact, comparing the 12 programs year-over-year, The Meadowlands had increases on 10 of the 12, including a $1 million increase on Meadowlands Pace night.

When you tie all of this together, The Meadowlands has been one of this country's greatest success stories through this pandemic. Is its financial situation as strong as it would be under normal circumstances? Of course not, because other than a company like Amazon, who is in a great position right now? But The Meadowlands has shown the world that a large company can be viable and operate in a safe manner as we all work through this terrible pandemic. There are businesses everywhere, especially in the New York Metro area, who should be pointing at The Meadowlands as an example that they too can operate safely and successfully with the necessary protocols in place.

Sure, horse racing is an outdoor sport, but when you think of all the interactions that typically occur at a racetrack, it reaches far beyond the excitement of just a horse race. For the horsemen, it's having the horses in the paddock, checking in, getting them rigged, etc. For the customers, it's placing bets at a window and dining at the facility. For the racetrack, it is making sure that operationally the days’ races are conducted correctly and within the COVID-19 guidelines. I can imagine the meetings that took place trying to determine every possible scenario and being prepared for it.

Make no mistake, Hambletonian Day was a herculean effort from both The Meadowlands and the Hambletonian Society, not to mention the remainder of the meet that was conducted. As it turns out, the powers that be shouldnt have placed The Meadowlands under the microscope to make sure they were operating within the guidelines; they should have been watching them to learn how to safely conduct an event and use what they saw at The Meadowlands to create protocols moving forward. To The Big M and the Hambo Society, I say job well done!