Meadowlands concluded its 2006 Thoroughbred meet on Saturday with steep declines in handle
due to the outbreak of the equine herpesvirus (EHV-1). Wagering for the 33-date
meet averaged $265,424 on-track, down 27.6 percent from 2005, and total wagering
dropped 11.5 percent to $1,642,030. Bad weather also plagued the New Jersey
track, as eight of the 33 programs were contested over “off” tracks, compared to
only three in 2005. Daily average attendance fell 18.5 percent to nearly 3,300.
“The final numbers clearly show the impact of the EHV-1 quarantine that
occurred in mid-October and continued through the remainder of the meet,” Senior
Vice President Dennis Dowd said. “It had a devastating impact on field size and
the number of races we could card each race date.”
Field size decreased 3.3 percent, and nearly 8 percent fewer races were
offered. About 100 horses were put in quarantine after the EHV-1 discovery, and
another 1,000 horses stabled at Monmouth Park were subject to bio-security
measures when they raced at Meadowlands and were barred from other tracks.
Horses from other facilities were not allowed to ship in.
“We appreciate the help of the horsemen in persevering through this difficult
time, as well as all of the support and services provided by the state and
private veterinarians and our staff in dealing proactively with the crisis,”
Dowd said.
The quarantine and extensive disinfecting procedures were imposed by the New
Jersey Department of Agriculture on October 26 and partially lifted on Friday.
Jose Lezcano led all jockeys, capping his first Meadowlands title with four
wins on the closing night program. The 21-year-old rider won 25 percent of his
starts in guiding home 46 winners. Rajiv Maragh finished second in the final
standings with 35 wins, and Joe Bravo grabbed third with 34.
Jason Servis won his second straight Meadowlands training title, saddling 20
winners at a 29 percent success clip. Patricia Farro earned runner-up honors
with 11 wins, followed by Jim Ryerson and Greg Sacco with 10 apiece.
There was a four-way tie for the leading owners’ crown, with Patricia
Generazio, Edward Evans, Joel Kligman and William Schettine each represented by
five wins.
After the difficulties encountered in recent meets, Dowd is looking forward
to next year.
“This meet has been snake bitten the past few years,” Dowd said. “We will be
regrouping to present a longer (41-day) meet in 2007 that will hopefully
complement our efforts at Monmouth Park in preparation for the 2007 Breeders’
Cup.”