STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The oldest operating racetrack in the country, New Jersey’s Freehold Raceway, will shut down operations at the end of the year, officials said.

The track will cease all live racing and simulcast operations at the end of the year, officials told NJ.com, SILive’s sister site.

The last day at the horse-racing track in Monmouth County will be Dec. 28. New Jersey’s other tracks — Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands — are not affected by the closure, the report said.

“This was an extremely difficult decision, especially given the historical importance of Freehold Raceway to the local community and the New Jersey horse-racing industry,” Howard Bruno, the raceway’s general manager, told NJ.com.

“Unfortunately, the operations of the racetrack cannot continue under existing conditions, and we do not see a plausible way forward,” he said. “We are incredibly thankful for our dedicated employees, horsemen and fan base for their support and patronage for so many years.”

Freehold Raceway is the nation’s oldest and fastest daytime half-mile harness racing track, according to its website. It first opened in 1853.

It currently features live harness racing for trotters and pacers, and is open seven days and nights a week. It also offers year-round thoroughbred and harness racing simulcasts from tracks throughout North America, according to the website.

Freehold Raceway is jointly owned by Penn Entertainment and Greenwood Racing.

Employees will be paid severance, including compensation as required by the state and any applicable collective bargaining agreements, track officials told NJ.com.

Freehold officials said they are hopeful an interested buyer might emerge to continue operating the track, but are otherwise “planning for the future by conducting a redevelopment study of the properties involved to determine the highest and best use for property,” NJ.com reported.

The New Jersey Racing Commission, which is overseen by the state’s Office of the Attorney General, was notified that Freehold Raceway “and its affiliated off-track wagering facilities in Toms River and Gloucester Township” are planning to cease operations on Dec. 28, said Allison Inserro, a spokeswoman for the office told NJ.com.

“The Commission will work with Freehold Raceway to ensure an orderly shutdown and to safeguard the integrity of racing and wagering during the wind-down period,” she told the media outlet.