Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey President Tom Luchento has been quoted as saying that after nine hours of negotiations at the Meadowlands Racetrack on Tuesday, June 21 that "The Whole Deal Is Done" -- the deal being the
Meadowlands Racetrack and Monmouth Park being transferred to private operators.
A report by The Record quotes Luchento as saying, “The state is out of the business, so now we’re controlling our own destiny. We don’t have to worry about politics anymore — just how we conduct ourselves.”
The Meadowlands Racetrack will be operated by Jeff Gural and Monmouth under the control of Morris Bailey.
The article also cites Luchento as saying that Gural and Morris' camp were told by aides of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie that the deals had to be completed by Tuesday or the state would shut the tracks down.
(With files from The Record)
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This is great news that it
This is great news that it is finally behind us. However, it remains to be seen what that last concession harness racing had to make to get the thoroughbred horsemen to sign off on the deal. I guess if Bailey and Gural can live with it, we can live with it.