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A 2016 referendum that would have allowed the Meadowlands to open a casino was a colossal failure. The ballot question lost by about 1.5 million votes.

But nine years later, there is renewed hope that casino gaming could be on its way to two of the last tracks in the country that do not benefit from gaming revenue. Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural is confident that he will get a casino license sometime in 2026. Monmouth officials are also hopeful voters will approve a casino at the Jersey Shore track. If the Meadowlands gets a casino and Monmouth does not, Meadowlands would have to share the proceeds evenly, which would go towards purses at both tracks.

The game changer is that New York is about to award three casino licenses to down state properties. They can be in the five boroughs or Yonkers. Currently, there is a racino at Aqueduct and Yonkers, but they are limited to slot machines and electronic table games. The favorites to get a downstate license are Aqueduct, Yonkers and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, who has proposed building a casino near Citi Field in Queens.

If there is the status quo in New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area gets three new casinos, Gural predicts that residents of the Garden State will flock to the nearby New York casinos. Yonkers Raceway is 8.5 miles from the George Washington Bridge and the Jersey border. Will New Jersey politicians and voters allow for a scenario where millions of gambling dollars from New Jersey residents are spent in New York State?

“I'm fairly confident, especially if they put a casino at Yonkers, which would be the closest to Northern New Jersey, that people will say to themselves, 'why would I drive over the bridge, sit in traffic and pay $18 if I could go to the Meadowlands to gamble?'” Gural said. “I'm a big believer in common sense. People have told me that a casino at the Meadowlands would be the most successful casino in the country, and I don't doubt that. We have a beautiful facility. We have sports betting. A full casino, I think would pack them in.”

Legislative efforts are already underway to facilitate casino development at the two racetracks, including a proposed constitutional amendment (Bill SCR130) that would allow casino gaming at the Meadowlands Racetrack and Monmouth Park Racetrack. In a race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, there will be a new governor in New Jersey early next year. Neither has come out for or against New Jersey getting racetrack casinos.

“Once we know where the downstate licenses are going to be and who the governor is going to be, then we've got to try to get a referendum that would allow a casino only at the Meadowlands and not any place else,” Gural said.

Gural said with the way the 2106 referendum was written, it was never going to be approved by the voters.

“I learned from that experience what not to do,” he said.

Gural will campaign for a casino at the Meadowlands only. He doesn't fear the Atlantic City casino lobby, which has successfully kept casinos out of the New Jersey tracks for nearly 50 years.

“I think the opposition is going to come from New York,” he said. “Once New York opens, then people from New York aren't going to go to Atlantic City anymore. So why wouldn't they want to see money stay in New Jersey? It can only help them eventually. The states are broke. So their biggest fear is that the state raises the tax rate on them. They just raised the tax rate on online gambling. If I were the Atlantic City casinos, my biggest worry would be the state needing money would simply raise the tax rate in Atlantic City. So this would help them because they could say, well, we sat on the sidelines and allowed a casino at the Meadowlands, which is generating hundreds of millions of dollars. You should leave us alone. And my guess is that that would be a persuasive argument, too.”

Gural says that should he get a casino and Monmouth does not, the money from the casino earmarked for purses would be split evenly between the two tracks.

“I think this would solidify us as the premier harness track in the country,” he said. “We are already the number one harness track in North America, but we really struggle because we're competing with Yonkers. They get $50 million a year in purse subsidies. And the two Pennsylvania tracks (Pocono Downs and Harrah's Philadelphia) get $30 million each. We've been getting a $6-million subsidy from the state. You can see why we're at a major disadvantage.”

At Monmouth, Dennis Drazin, who heads the Darby Development team that manages Monmouth Park, isn't quite as optimistic as Gural.

“This is a tough one,” he said. “I've been trying to get a casino for 20 to 30 years and frankly have not been successful. The last time we went around and had the ballot question, it was overwhelmingly defeated, but I think it was set up to be a failure because the legislation made it easy to challenge. There was no specificity of where they'd be located, tax rate, who would benefit from it. It just didn't have the accompanying enabling legislation for people to intellectually evaluate it, and it was easy for the opposition to spend 30 minutes to get it defeated.

“Having said that, things have changed. Now they're going to award downstate casinos. It's going to be direct competition for New Jersey. I think the New Jersey legislators and Governor Murphy and whoever the next governor is, either Ciattarelli or Mikie Sherrill, understand that we need to protect the gaming dollars in New Jersey. So I share Jeff's hope this will get done, but I don't think it's any easy lift.”

While any new source of revenue would help Monmouth, Drazin said he will fight to see to it that both tracks gets a casino. He said that the legislation calls for full casinos at both the Meadowlands and Monmouth.

“[Casino owner] Morris Bailey is our gaming partner at Monmouth Park,” Drazin said. “If we were to get one, I think that there may be less of an impact on Atlantic City if we just get slots and not full table games. So that's one scenario that Monmouth Park would be willing to accept in order to get this done. We currently are not in favor of a casino at Meadowlands and not at Monmouth Park. We think the ballot question should be for both racetracks. Jeff is unlikely to get the support of Morris Bailey or Monmouth Park without our getting something out of this, and that won't help him.”

Nothing is imminent but the sense of optimism is something new. Both New Jersey tracks struggle to fill cards and run limited schedules. The Meadowlands runs only twice a week and Monmouth is open three days a week and offers only 50 days of racing. With casinos, that will no doubt change and purses should rise dramatically.

The first casino in New Jersey, Resorts International, now owned by Bailey, opened on May 26, 1978. It's been a tough grind for the Meadowlands and Monmouth ever since and Atlantic City and Garden State Park closed long ago. Could it be that the fight is about to end, with the racetracks being declared the winner? There is hope.

The post At Last Optimism that Meadowlands and Monmouth May Get Casinos appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Hip 502, a colt by Practical Joke bred by Stone Bridge Farm, brought the sale’s co-top price at $525,000 Monday. Fasig-Tipton Photo.

The two-day Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale posted significant gains over last year and concluded an extremely strong summer auction season in upstate New York for 2025.

Fasig-Tipton reported sales on 199 of the 254 yearlings through the ring over the two days for a total of $23,870,000, up 23.9 percent from last year’s $19,273,000 for 185 sold. The sale’s average price of $119,950 also increased 15.1 percent from last year’s $104,178, while median held steady at $85,000. The sale’s buyback rate finished at 21.7 percent, down from 26.3 percent in 2024.

The New York-bred sale followed a blockbuster select sale, which saw total sales soar past $100 million and records across the board.

“Four spectacular days of sales in Saratoga. I don’t know any other way to describe it,” said Boyd Browning Jr., Fasig-Tipton president and chief executive officer. “Fantastic marketplace. We had a really, really strong group of horses on the grounds for the New York-bred sale as well as the main sale. And that’s what happens when you have quality horses. This New York-bred program is, I don’t think there’s any question, the best state-bred program in the United States.”

Browning praised the Empire State’s breeders and the New York Racing Association for continuing the build on past successes of the program and take it to the next level.

“There continues to be concerted and a collected effort to improve it with the breeders and with NYRA,” Browning said. “We also have to be cognizant and give some gratitude to the political arena, who have supported Thoroughbred racing in the state of New York. It’s thriving and that’s reflective in these sales results. Virtually everybody you talk to that’s involved in the New York-bred program is very optimistic about the future of it.”

Buyers combed the grounds all weekend and into Monday looking for future racing prospects that will compete in the lucrative New York-bred races and open-company events around the world.

Hip 502, a colt by Practical Joke out of the unraced Cherokee Run mare Cuello de Luna, commanded the top price Monday and finished as the co-leading seller on a $525,000 bid from Sallusto and Kimmel, agent for MWG.

Bred by and foaled at Stone Bridge Farm LLC in Gansevoort and consigned by Indian Creek, agent, the colt is the ninth foal out of the half-sister to stakes winner Neck of the Moon. Cuello de Luna is the dam of six winners, including $329,263-earner Sundaeswithsandy and $144,888-earner Crack Shot.

“We’d totally be lying through our teeth if we told you we expected it,” Indian Creek’s Sarah Sutherland said of the price. “I think we saw in the first sale and then again last night, the horses that people want, those (that have) really nice physicals with some sire power, the market is very strong behind them. Then you’re rewarded in multiples if you line up that way. Nice horses bring in a whole lot of money, and anything below that, it starts to get a little trickier.”

While Sutherland might not have expected the co-top price, she did know the colt would be in demand from his presale activity.

“He was well received from the get-go, just from our initial all shows all the way through, re-looks in the vetting process,” she said. “He was staying on lists for everybody. We had a great level of support from pinhookers and end users and trainers and everything else. We knew we were in good shape, but it takes a special horse for people to line up and spend that money on, and we’re just happy to be in that position for his breeder.”

Hip 522, a daughter of Street Sense bred by Thirty Year Farm, sold for $400,000 Monday. Susie Raisher Photo.

Hip 522, a daughter of Street Sense out of the winning Galileo mare Evening Primrose, brought the top price of the day for a filly on a bid of $400,000 from Alan Quartucci, agent for Ed Swyer’s Hudson River Farm.

Bred by and foaled at Thirty Year Farm LLC in Saratoga Springs and consigned by Paramount Sales, agent, the filly is the second foal out of Evening Primrose. She’s also the dam of the New York-bred 2-year-old Twirling Candy filly Cosmic Candy Girl, a $130,000 purchase out of last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale. She finished second in her debut July 31 at Saratoga Race Course.

“We love the filly’s pedigree and she’s got a great walk,” Quartucci said. “I know Joe DiRico owns the half-sister who placed here at Saratoga, so I think the family’s young. We hope she can be a nice two-turn filly on the grass. Galileo mare, we like that. Street Sense is a very solid stallion and very good with fillies.”

Those two yearlings were among 11 who sold for $300,000 or more in the final session.

The final session also posted strong gains over last year. Fasig-Tipton reported 132 yearlings sold Monday for $15,172,000, an average price of $114,939 and median of $80,000. The total rose 26.9 percent and average increased 3.9 percent for the second session.

“Hopefully we’ll continue to see more and more activity, better and better quality horses, more stallions coming to New York and more racing in terms of New York-bred opportunities,” Browning said. “Particularly with the new Belmont coming on track. Lots of reasons for optimism for New York. … People are enthusiastic to own quality racehorses right now. We’re fortunate to that that’s what we bring to this area, have the ability to offer in Saratoga is quality racehorses. As I said, you’ve heard me describe it as the quinella. The gross is up, the average is up, the RNA rate in down, the medium is up.

Hip 552, a daughter of Bucchero and half-sister to stakes winner Kay Cup, commanded the top price for a yearling by a New York-based sire on a bid of $240,000 from Corbin Blumberg, agent.

Bred by Robert Cotran, foaled at Amsterdam Two Farm in Middleburgh and consigned by Denali Stud, agent, the filly is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Gypsy Jo. She’s the dam of two winners led by Kay Cup, winner of the Bouwerie Stakes during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in June at Saratoga and most likely headed for the August 21 Fleet Indian Stakes. Cotran purchased Gypsy Jo in foal to Bucchero for $15,000 out of the 2024 OBS winter mixed sale.

Bucchero, a 13-year-old son of Kantharos out of the General Meeting mare Meetmeontime, stands for $10,000 at Ironhorse Stallions in Stillwater; Hip 552 was conceived in Florida before his move to the Empire State.

Hip 539, a daughter of four-time leading New York sire Central Banker out of New York-bred champion and stakes winner Frosty Margarita, sold for $160,000 to Whisper Hill Farm.

Bred by Gabrielle Farm and Saratoga Glen Farm, foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm in Schuylerville and consigned by C & S Thoroughbreds, agent, the filly is the third foal out of $599,876-earner Frosty Margarita. She earned New York-bred champion 2-year-old filly honors in 2015. Frosty Margarita is the dam of Power Dam, a New York-bred son of Yaupon who sold for $250,000 in the 2025 Fasig-Tipton February Digital sale and then for $700,000 in the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Central Banker, a 15-year-old son of Speightstown out of the Go for Gin mare Rhum, stands for $7,500 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs.

The post New York-bred sale wraps up strong Saratoga sales season appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

Hip 502, a colt by Practical Joke bred by Stone Bridge Farm, sold for $525,000 Monday at the Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Susie Raisher Photo.

The Saratoga Special’s editorial team of Miles Clancy, Alec DiConza, Darby O’Brien and Julia Reedy covered Monday’s second session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga grounds and talked with buyers, sellers and sales company officials about the results:

Boyd Browning Jr., Fasig-Tipton: “It was an improved sale, or an improved sales result. … It’ll be fun to start recruiting for next year. We always try to improve the selection process, we always try to improve the recruiting process. It’ll be a little tougher task to have significant meaningful improvement for 2026, but we’ll try. We’ll hope our game stays really healthy. We’ve been doing this since 1898, 127 years, so to say we’re invested in the Thoroughbred industry would be a pretty significant understatement.”

Sarah Sutherland, Indian Creek: “We love it. The New York-bred program is a really important part of what we do. We’re obviously based in Kentucky, but it’s a program that we have a lot of owner support and we’ve really enjoyed being a part of over the years. So to come up here with one that we didn’t necessarily foal but we raised, it feels neat to have that joint effort with the breeders.”

Buyer John Eaton, who purchased Hip 408, a Constitution filly, for $390,000: “Loved her pedigree, love the fact she’s supported by the owners of the mare. She’s got athletic ability, hope so. She’ll fit in my broodmare band very nicely. She checked all the boxes, as far as I’m concerned.”

Reiley McDonald, Eaton Sales: “We thought (Hip 400) would bring in the $300,000 to $400,000 range and she brought $390,000. At the top end of the market, it seems to be very strong. The middle end might be a little soft here. She’s by Constitution, who’s having a great year, and this is the first foal out of a stakes winning mare. I thought that was right in line with what she should’ve brought. Physically, a very nice filly. John Eaton followed her all along from Day 1 and he saw what we saw. Really lovely filly with a good pedigree. … It’s been a good sale. The middle is a little soft and the lower end is a little softer than it was last year.”

Trainer Chad Brown, representing Klaravich Stable on its four purchases Monday along with Mike Ryan, including Hip 403, a Nyquist filly that sold for $370,000: “That’s about where we appraised her. We’ve had luck with Nyquist before with Randomized, particularly the fillies. Mike and Mary Ryan do all the work for us, and they both graded the horse very high. When I relayed that to Mr. Klarman, he said ‘Make this one of our top choices.’ It’s right exactly where we appraised her. …We’re familiar with what the best Nyquist fillies look like, and you have to pay for them. The sire is doing fabulous, and she’s got a little bit of an extra bonus being a New York-bred, in case we need to do that.”

Browning: “Everyone always says how do you all put together the catalog? New crops, new sires … We’re not smart enough to do any of that stuff. We had Mind Control that came on board this year that was strongly represented in the catalog. We’ll have some Americanrevolution coming on board with some other interesting horses. We try to be supportive and recognize that there’s a time and a place for all the horses. And we want good Mind Controls and we want good Americanrevolutions. And we also want good New York-bred Practical Jokes and good New York-bred Nyquists and things of that nature. We’re striving. We’re a physicals-first sales company and that’s in our DNA and will continue to be our DNA.”

The post New York-bred sale wrap: What they’re saying appeared first on New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News.

A half brother to last month's July Cup (G1) hero, No Half Measures, and a half sister to Shes Perfect, who finished first-past-the-post in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1), are among the highlights of the Tattersalls Book 2 catalog Oct. 13-15.

The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit announced Aug. 11 that Equine Integrity and Anti-Doping Sciences Labs has been granted probationary Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority Equine Analytical Laboratory accreditation.

In the sixth race at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 8, 2-year-old first-time starter Aye Eye bumped the gate at the break, broke slowly, lagged 19 1/2 lengths behind, and ran one of the most impressive races of the summer meeting.

Sixty-four horses sold for a gross of $8,338,000, up 21.3% from last year, with the average of $130,281 rising 25.3%. The median also rose, to $105,000 from $89,000. Twenty horses failed to meet their reserve, resulting in an RNA rate of 23.8%.

Baoma Corp's Himika scored a dominating 4 1/4 length win in the $150,500 Sorrento Stakes (G3) Aug. 10 at Del Mar, giving trainer Bob Baffert his ninth win in the race.

Although her Aug. 10 breeze didn't go exactly as planned, trainer Kenny McPeek got what he needed out of Thorpedo Anna ahead of the Aug. 23 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1).

After her dominant 15 1/2-length win in the July 19 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), Scottish Lassie is being pointed to the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing Sept. 20.

After several starts that showed a promising future, Flying Dutchmen's Big Truzz put it altogether Aug. 10 for a dominant seven-length win in the $300,000 Ellis Park Derby.

After having a successful first breeze on turf in :49.70 on the Oklahoma Training Track Aug. 10, the plan is for Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Sandman to switch surfaces and compete in the $3.5 million Nashville Derby (G3T) at Kentucky Downs Aug. 30.

Bill Mott is not known for sophomore turf sprinters, but the Hall of Famer sent out Juddmonte's Spiced Up to an upset win Aug. 10 in the $175,000 Mahony Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course.

Pennsylvania native Dominique Damico has been a horsewoman all her life, riding hunters and jumpers. Her already impressive career reached new heights Aug. 9 when a colt she bred—Diciassette won the Proud Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Back from his year off through injury, siring sensation The Autumn Sun is set to resume serving duties this spring with an enlarged and high quality book of mares that has Arrowfield Stud bristling with excitement.

Sajir added a first win in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) Aug. 10 to the glittering career haul of trainer Andre Fabre, who also trained Sajir's sire Make Believe for owner-breeder Prince Faisal.

Godolphin's homebred and two-time Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) winner Rebel's Romance secured his eighth group 1 win in the Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1) at Hoopegarten Aug. 10.

Chopsticks became the first black-type winner for Godolphin's homebred sire Essential Quality when the 2-year-old filly won the $200,000 Debutante Stakes Aug. 10 at Ellis Park.

The latest 'Woodbine Week presented by Woodbine Entertainment' begins Aug. 11, celebrating the 166th running of the prestigious King's Plate. This year's race will be contested Aug. 16.

Human error was at the root cause of a snafu in which the starting gate was positioned at the wrong distance for the 12th race at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 9, according to a New York Racing Association release.