Reports from New Jersey indicate that the executive board of Local 137 - the union that represents the mutuel clerks at the Meadowlands - has agreed to support an amended deal with Jeff Gural
.
Contrary to earlier reports, the deal will not require a vote from the Local 137 membership. Gural told Trot Insider on Tuesday night that "the Executive Committee approved the deal today so that problem is solved." Robert Liguori, business manager for Local 137 AFL-CIO told northjersey.com that a legal opinion was obtained that turned over approval power to the Executive.
The report states that the board did concede to the unpopular 20 per cent pay cut but Liguori said that the new deal “fends off the threatening language proposed that would have undermined our seniority rights.”
All this is wonderful news
All this is wonderful news BUT: As far as I am concerned, I feel that changes have to be done to attract crowds that will pay for the Hundred Millions that Mr. Gural and his friends are wagering.
The sport itself has to change in its SHOW FORMAT. O.K" it would be nice for families to gather and have FUN, with castle, rides and what not but the races would still be the same old boring format. ONE MILE once around every 20 minutes, no action but in the last quarter. Why not do what they do in FRANCE with great success. Different distances and of course races under saddle. I have a feeling that the horsemen themselves do not want changes. I have been a Fan of harness racing for years, I have seen Albatross and Super Bowl at the now defunct harness meet at Hollywood Park without mentioning the great days of the Prix d'Été here in MONTREAL, I have tried to lure my friends to the track and they all say the same thing, BORING, NO ACTION, ALWAYS THE SAME S....T....
PLEASE be imaginative, after all some horses are good at short distances, others,long distances and what not. The bottom line is that gramblers, who are the real supporters of racing, get bored also with old format, this is why they tried all sort of different venues to get their money's worth.
JEAN BLANCHETTE
MONTREAL
It'll be real in just a
It'll be real in just a little bit. The Meadowlands circuit and the WEG circuit are the epicenters of harness racing in North America. The nightmare is OVER!!!!!!!!
I am all for racing at the
I am all for racing at the big m but lets keep it real. The racing is a shadow of what it was 10 years ago, all the good horses race at yonkers or at chester or at other tracks that have slots. Can Jeff Gural return the track to it's glory days, we will see but without slots i am not holding my breath.
I agree completely with
I agree completely with Peter Smith. Harness racing would never be the same without the mecca of Harness racing at the Meadowlands.
Hopefully this deal will be ratified and we can start planning trips to the Meadowlands.
Please God let it be so!
Please God let it be so!