by Debbie Little

In a statement released by management at Freehold Raceway on Thursday (Sept. 19), the racetrack in central New Jersey “expects to cease all live racing and simulcast operations as of Dec. 28, 2024.”

When contacted by HRU for a comment on Thursday morning after word broke, it was obvious that the news was still sinking in with Mark Ford, president of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey.

“We’ve been in discussion with Freehold about the problems there for several years now,” Ford said. “And not that we didn’t see it coming, but it’s a very big shock. We didn’t know anything about it until this morning like everybody else did. So, we have to step back and take a deep breath and make sure that we get what’s coming to us.”

When asked if he had given any thought to adding dates to The Meadowlands calendar for next year to try and accommodate some of the Freehold horses that are possibly good enough to race at The Meadowlands, president/chief executive officer Jeff Gural said, “I would consider adding dates to help the horsemen provided it makes economic sense. Surprised they stayed open so long.”

Freehold, known as “The Afternoon Delight,” was established in 1853 and according to their website is the nation’s oldest and fastest daytime half mile harness racing track. Despite the fact that Goshen Historic Track was established in 1838, unlike Freehold, it is no longer pari-mutuel.

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

“The remainder of the approved live racing schedule for 2024 will be completed and daily simulcasting will continue until the closure date. Freehold officials are working proactively with the New Jersey Racing Commission, state and local officials, and industry stakeholders on all necessary items related to the closure of the facility. Severance will be paid to employees, including compensation as required by New Jersey’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining (WARN) Act, and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.”

Even though perhaps the writing may have been on the wall when Freehold closed its sportsbook just prior to the start of football season, sources say they were stunned to hear that the track would cease racing at the end of the year.

According to those sources, letters were handed out to employees last Thursday (Sept. 12), the same day the Governor of New Jersey signed the horse racing appropriation bill extending support of the industry through 2029. The Sept. 12 letters asked the employees to attend the Sept. 19 meeting in which the track’s closure was announced.