It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since I visited The Hambletonian. Prakas and William O’Donnell won the big race that day in 1985. We used to go to the Big M, two, three, sometimes four nights a week back in the days of high school and college. This week, it was big news in the local newspaper “The Bergen Record”, that the Meadowlands Racetrack might soon close it’s doors. You know the story – the state owns the track and they’re not making profits. Might this be the last Hambletonian race ever run in New Jersey? It was a perfect summer day so I decided to skip playing tennis and go back to the Big M for a journey back in time The track is only about 10 miles from my home in Teaneck, so I cycled over through the back roads of Hackensack, Moonachie, Carlstadt, Little Ferry and finally East Rutherford.
Some of the memories began to flow back…selling all my baseball cards to brother Dave to scrounge up some bucks to go to the track. One night we parked my mom’s green Volare wagon outside the complex in some warehouse lot on Paterson Plank Rd. to save the $2 parking fee, but when we got back to the car that night a tire was flat and Rob’s dad had to come and help us change it. It was after midnight. George, usually a gentle sort, punched a wall after losing a close race – he had to wear a cast for weeks.
The very first night at the track was in about 1982 when the young guys Charlie, Vinny, Pauly, at the Packanack Lake deli used to talk about harness racing. As teens, we looked up to them. They were cool. Intrigued, we made plans for the great adventure to the racetrack – to take the bus which took a very long route but eventually got us there.
Harness racing would become a favorite summer pastime for about a half dozen of us high school kids. It became a staple of our lives, with summer street hockey, baseball, stickball, loafing, part time jobs, the shore, and girls. One time we even hitchhiked there during the summer and, of all the luck, our trio that night got picked up by one of the window tellers who was very kind to us. I remember his name was Buddy.
We talked about horse racing constantly in those days, it was part of our daily lives. Reading the race entries and Ray Brienza columns in “The Star Ledger.” Imitating the track announcers distinctive voices. Savoring the mugs, t-shirts and gym bags the Big M gifted us on special occasions. We’d watch videos at Mike’s house of the great horses in big races, like On The Road Again, Ralph Hanover, Nihilator, Cam Fella, It’s Fritz. Cam Fella – It’s Fritz, Cam Fella – It’s Fritz, CAM FELLA – IN FRONT!
Each of us even made special mention to the Big M in our senior yearbooks. God, how we loved that place, even though we usually lost $20-30 bucks a night, often going home with “nunca pesos.”
There was no better summer night than getting to the track at 7:30, with high hopes, grabbing a program, a pencil, a hot dog and a Coke, and try to handicap some winners. It was so simple but so much fun.
One guy, Richie, used to be secretive about his picks, fearing the jinks. He would never tell anyone who he wanted to bet on. One goofball used to do a ridiculous 30-yard leg-kick dance whenever he won a race. Sometimes we’d go on hunts to spot old-timers who wore toupees. Mike used to yell so loud during the homestretch, that everyone would turn their heads, in awe of the loudmouth. I SAID COME ON WITHAT FOUR HORSE!!!
Mike was our leader at the track, he loved it the most. He had some amazing betting courage too. He’d bet everything in his bank account from his part-time job at the supermarket – $500 on Ghengis Khan to place. Stuff like that. To this day Mike can recall all the big horses and their big wins, times, stretch calls by Bob Meyer, Jack E. Lee and Dave Johnson. He’s the one who found the old harness racing videos on You Tube that we’d all watch for hours, in awe of the surreal time machine ride it was like going on.
I finally arrive at the Big M without any troubles and lock up my bike at the front gate. Two State Troopers say it’s okay to leave my bike there. It’s perfect time for the seventh race. The building looks exactly the same really, the clean blue and white atmosphere, with the same buzz of excitement striding up the ramp entrance. Programs are still a buck. What a beautiful palace – and packed too. 26,711 others came to see the Hambo like me.
The first voice I heard was this guy who had the #9 LILSHARKSHOOTER, a 9-1 shot with George Brennan in the bike, and kept asking his companion after the race, Why didn’t Georgie pull him? Why didn’t Georgie pull him? Unfortunately, LILSHARK finished ninth.
In the eight race – the $300,000 Nat Ray – I carefully analyzed the past performances and decided to dollar box 7-1 Slave Dream/Campbell with the .70 favorite Enough Talk/ Ron Pierce. The program pick Lanson with Mike “Michel” LaChance looked a little unsteady during the post parade. Guess what? The 5-6 won. My first wager in decades and it’s a winner to the tune of $24.10!
And I was the one known for going stretches as long as a month without touching a winning ticket. That brought back memories of the greatest night ever at the Big M – nailing the 8-9 Searights-Impressive Lad exacta in the last race which paid about $45! Me and Rob hit that one and we were as happy as two millionaires. There once was a night when we almost had a really big ticket. One night towards the end of our Big M days, we had the tenth race trifecta which would have paid around $600, but it just missed by a nose. Oh well, that’s racing. You win some, but you lose more.
Another big thrill was making the journey over to Yonkers Raceway for the first time to see the prestigious Cane Pace which was won by either Ralph Hanover or On The Road Again. I still remember the drive over and the anticipation, with Van Halen’s “I’ll Wait” and Donna Summer’s “She Works Hard For The Money” playing on the radio. The silly things you remember. Yonkers gave us a wonderful green and blue gym bag that night too. To see Yonkers Raceway was awe-inspiring, it really was like entering Yankee Stadium for the first time. Then a few months later we went to Roosevelt Raceway for the International Trot. I still have the blue and orange placard and memories of the European monster horse Ideal Du Gazeau. And seeing the famous Channel 11 sportscaster Jerry Girard among the crowd.
There were many memorable horses. Jigs & Reels was about 14 years old and still trotting and winning races at the Big M. Bobbo was a popular trotter in the 80’s on the New York circuit and we gave Rob the nickname Bobbo which he later had emblazoned on a customized football jersey. Back Seat was a betting favorite that broke stride on the back stretch. Mountain Haze had a hot streak and won some open handicaps on Channel 9’s “Racing From Yonkers” with the legendary hosts Stan Bergstein and Spencer Ross. Mannart Maximus was a cool name. Toughkenamon. Irish Jimmy. Roan Baron and Zane Gray A were gray horses. Walton Hanover. Docs Fella. No Nukes. I saved hundreds of those old programs but can’t find them now.
It was time to leave the track, for perhaps the final time, after seeing Muscle Massive edge Lucky Chucky to win the Hambletonian. As I pedaled by the new Giants Stadium, I wondered how anyone would rather spend an afternoon playing slot machines or poker – than watch the historic and elegant sport called harness racing?
Topics: Back Roads, Baseball Cards, Bergen Record, Brother Dave, East Rutherford, Hambletonian, Harness Racing, High School Kids, Journey Back In Time, Little Ferry, Meadowlands Racetrack, Miles From My Home, Moonachie, Packanack Lake, Part Time Jobs, Paterson Plank Rd, Playing Tennis, S Green, Street Hockey, Summer Pastime
A Return to the Meadowlands Racetrack after 25 Years | 