How will the Hambletonian move impact harness racing’s future?

by Bob Duff

History was my major in university. Of all the areas of study offered by institutions of higher learning, history may be the one accompanied by the most major misconceptions.

History is not merely about the memorization of events and dates. It’s a study of how all of these moments impact our evolution as a society, both in positive and negative ways.

You’ve probably heard the infamous saying that what we learn from history is that we never learn from history.

So why bring all of this up in a column about horse racing? Well, because one of the most historic events in the sport is relocating. After more than a century, the Hambletonian, the biggest trotting race in the world, is leaving the shadow of the Big Apple.

“A sad day for New Jersey and the tradition of trotting,” three-time Hambletonian winner Åke Svanstedt posted on X. “Hambletonian and The Meadowlands have shared so much history — it’s hard to imagine one without the other.”

Instead of racing across from Manhattan at The Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ, trotting’s signature event will be taking place next year in Indiana at Hoosier Park.

This is not good news for the sport on many levels.

HRU’s own Dave Briggs summed it up succinctly: “The Hambletonian belongs at The Meadowlands.”

Again, as Briggs correctly points out, this is not intended to be a knock against Hoosier Park. The track will play host to the $1 million race for the next three years and will likely do a bang-up job.

Likewise, it’s not a knock against the Hambletonian Society. It’s their job to secure the future of the race, and there was definite uncertainty at present with The Meadowlands, which has held the race since 1981.

“Entertaining proposals to host the Hambletonian became necessary when The Meadowlands did not exercise its exclusive right of renewal for the Hambletonian in September 2025,” the Hambletonian Society said in its release.

Under its bylaws, in this scenario, the Hambletonian Society was required to open up the race to bidders. And Hoosier Park won the bid.

The Hambletonian Society’s press release on the decision said that Hoosier Park “came with an incentive-laden contract.”

“No decision regarding the Hambletonian is taken lightly by the board,” Hambletonian Society president/CEO John Campbell told the Bergen Record.

“The Hambletonian has enjoyed a long and successful run at The Meadowlands since 1981. All Meadowlands management teams have been great partners in promoting the race and the surrounding events.

“However, the board received a proposal… that will only guarantee continued opportunity and growth for the Hambletonian and the sport.”

Will it, though?

IS IT BETTER TO BE A BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND?

TV networks root for the New York Yankees to make the World Series and the Los Angeles Lakers to reach the NBA finals for a reason. It’s because major markets sell. They drive ratings. Advertisers are attracted to big-time events.

Selling interest in the Hambletonian in Indiana isn’t going to be the same as selling it as the sport’s signature event in the largest U.S. media market.

Instead of competing next to the city that never sleeps, the sport is making it easy for people to sleep on the Hambletonian.

Even in Indiana, the Hambletonian won’t be the star racing attraction. There’s that other race, the 500-mile one held every May in Indianapolis. It’s kind of a big deal.

There’s no question that harness racing is on the rise in the Midwest. Kentucky is booming. Indiana is solid. Ohio, home to the Little Brown Jug, is also going strong.

Who knows? Maybe this power move to the Midwest is exactly what the sport needs. Solidifying its base and ensuring the future.

Is this what everyone wants from harness racing, though? To be a regional sport, small potatoes, a big fish in a small pond? This move will basically turn harness racing into a foreign entity on the U.S. coasts.

Harness racing is slipping away in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. New York does okay, but no longer plays host to as many signature events. Moving the Hambletonian doesn’t bode well for the sport’s future in any of these states.

While looking to the future is always vital, forgetting the past can be lethal. Will the Hambletonian get more attention in Indiana? Maybe. But what does this say about the industry?

Is harness racing accepting that it’s just going to be a regional sport in the Midwest and nothing more? Is it a wise move for the sport to abandon a presence of one of its major races in the vicinity of the largest city and media market in North America?