Open Letter to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

Dear Governor Christie,

You are surely hearing from your constituents about why The Meadowlands Racetrack should be saved. They are likely pointing out the fact that harness racing is a multi-billion dollar industry that provides tens of thousands of jobs to the state of New Jersey. You are probably being advised that the sport also keeps hundreds of thousands of acres green and protected and generates many millions of dollars in wagering handle.

Based on your recent announcement, which questions the future of the racetrack and standardbred racing in New Jersey, apparently you are taking that information under advisement.

I am writing to you today not as a participant or stakeholder of your region, but as a customer of your state -- the State of New Jersey.

I am a customer because I visit you multiple times each and every year. I spend money at your hotels, your restaurants, and your airports. I pay your road tolls and your sales taxes, visit your attractions and your parks. I advocate for you and promote you to others. Sometimes I bring my family, sometimes I come alone. I convert my dollars to American currency and visit New Jersey more than any other jurisdiction in the United States.

I do it all for one reason: because The Meadowlands is the North American leader in standardbred horse racing.

You may not see the significance in that statement, but I do. You are the leader in a gambling activity that still attracts more than $1 billion in annual wagering. You are number one in a sport that in Canada draws a greater attendance than all major professional sports combined. Standardbred Canada, our nation’s harness racing information site, receives one million independent visits monthly. Each of those visits represents people who are customers or potential customers of the State of New Jersey for one primary reason -- your racetrack.

You may not be aware that we schedule our Saturday nights around New Jersey harness racing. We are your biggest off-track betting customer, wagering tens of millions of our dollars on your races. We build our vacations around your state, send money down to breed our mares to your stallions, and truck across the border to spend our currency at your horse sales. In our country, professional harness racing takes place in all 10 provinces and makes up more than 80% of all of our live horse racing. Yet we still look to The Meadowlands as the North American leader.

At the same time, you may be aware that WestJet, one of Canada’s two major air carriers, recently cancelled its Toronto to Atlantic City route after only 10 months, citing “the numbers not being anywhere near” what the airline required to make the route viable. Before vacating, they were the only airline in the world to offer international direct flights into Atlantic City.

As thousands of commercial casinos open up across the continent, as governments begin legalizing and opening online gambling sites, and as each casino becomes a major entertainment destination on its own, your Atlantic City dream becomes increasingly misguided.

And while your old grey mare -- Atlantic City -- ain’t what she used to be, you do still have another horse in your stable, one who’s as regal and gallant as they come. She’s faced every challenge with grit and determination and won every big race she’s entered. Today, your champion looks to you for guidance and leadership to take her through one of the tougher times in her career.

The risk is high but the potential reward is enormous. You can be a world leader in harness racing, willing to build the business model and make a case for international expansion. You can prove that customers like me are in the thousands and that the state is better off with The Meadowlands than without. You can build on your strengths rather than trying to atone for your weaknesses. You can easily win this race.

Just make sure you bet on the right horse!

Best regards,

Darryl Kaplan
Toronto,­­ Canada