Joe Conte said he had never even been to the Meadowlands Racetrack, much less owned a racehorse.
Thanks to the New Jersey racetrack’s wildly popular ‘Own A Horse’ promotion, Conte got to experience both thrills during March as an owner of the horse, Legion Of Boom.
After registering online, Conte was randomly selected to ‘own’ the horse during March. Conte and his wife made the 250-mile round trip each weekend from their home in Wilmington, DE in order to watch and cheer on ‘Boom.’
While he did not have to pay any bills or incur any expenses, Conte received a cheque from the track for 10 per cent of the horse’s earnings. That came out to a cool $984 by the end of the month thanks to a win, a third, and a fourth-place finish.
“The opportunity to go to the paddock and see the horse was very special,” explained Conte. “Add that to seeing some of the best drivers in the world up close was second only to the minutes before and during each Legion Of Boom race. The nervous anticipation, the disappointment after a tough trip, and when he won, the utter joy I felt was something I will never forget. A picture of me in the winner’s circle was the icing on the cake.”
Conte and fellow Legion Of Boom owner Mark Picardo attended the races all five weeks of the contest. They came with family and friends, which helped expose the sport to even more potential owners or race fans.
In total, more than $13,000 has been paid out to the new horse owners during the first three months of the Own A Horse contest at the Meadowlands.
The Own A Horse promotion will continue to run each month throughout the Meadowlands racing season. Fans may register online by visiting the Own A Horse page on the track’s website.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)