Anyone visits Freehold

[iceknight]

I am going to be in NJ and thinking of making a drive down just to add to my list of tracks with live racing happening (which is at 1 right now haha).

[ishman17]

been there many times...it kinda reminds me of a bus station...it's a nice little track though. Cost 2.00 to park and a couple bucks to get into the club room. Not much in the way of food, there is your usual track fare ( hot dogs, sandwhiches etc etc)...everyone that works there is quite nice ( at least that i have delt with ). I always have a good time there. Enjoy if you go.

[badcompany]

Haven't been there in a while, but, I used enjoy taking an occassional road trip down there. It's a fun little 1/2 mile track in a small town. There's a mall right there, as well.

[TBred17Roan]

Tomorrow night the brand new grandstand at the Meadowlands opens for live harness racing. Might be worth a look.

[mrroyboy]

Haven't been there in a long time but I still bet sometimes. Cheap horses but ok for a 1/2 mile track
That other suggestion is great. Afternoon trip to Freehold evening trip to Meadowlandsl If I still lived in NJ I would love to go with you :)

[wiffleball whizz]

Stone cesspool......

When I'm laying in the hospital bet with 3 hours to live ill look back and wish I didn't waste time at freehold!!

On a serious note place still smells like piss and cigar smoke from 1999.....100 percent fact

[Phantombridgejumpe]

Are you old enough to have played there when it was just tents?

The old building burned down and for at least a year they had betting only in tents with 10,000 mosquitoes and bees.

The 'new' building - I still call it that - is just strange. Poor layout, even when new, and the smell comments are harsh, but not totally inaccurate.

As has been mentioned before you can park at the Barnes and Noble and beat the $2 charge if you feel like it.

I've seen some greats of racing there and some winning miles is 2:06:2

Bottom of the barrel now unfortunately for live racing. I still go now and then, mostly for simulcasting.

[wiffleball whizz]

Are you old enough to have played there when it was just tents?

The old building burned down and for at least a year they had betting only in tents with 10,000 mosquitoes and bees.

The 'new' building - I still call it that - is just strange. Poor layout, even when new, and the smell comments are harsh, but not totally inaccurate.

As has been mentioned before you can park at the Barnes and Noble and beat the $2 charge if you feel like it.

I've seen some greats of racing there and some winning miles is 2:06:2

Bottom of the barrel now unfortunately for live racing. I still go now and then, mostly for simulcasting.


No never saw the tents

I'm 32 and been going there since I was 11.......had some good times there in Billy's room and the dining room

Long time ago in dining room they had glass tops on the tables....me and a well known regular there would play "table football" 3 shots with a quarter to get it hanging over edge...for $50 a shot

All I can say is I don't miss it but I really miss it....if that makes any sense


By the way you couldn't beat the Billy's room admission back in the day with that old lady there for all the tea in china

[fiveouttasix]

made my 1st trip there in 1972 as soon as we got our drivers license. I remember the pencils hooked on to a wire that would write the pay offs to the teller..lol
Used to call it Expensive-Hold

[Phantombridgejumpe]

Has the 'new' building really been there 20 years...

[Phantombridgejumpe]

The tents were 1984-5 it would appear from the history books (or wiki).

I remember being there in the 70s, we had to go there because I wasn't old enough to get in at the meadowlands. For some reason you had to be 12 to enter the meadowlands when it was new.

[iceknight]

The tents were 1984-5 it would appear from the history books (or wiki).

I remember being there in the 70s, we had to go there because I wasn't old enough to get in at the meadowlands. For some reason you had to be 12 to enter the meadowlands when it was new.you guys are hilarious with these stories, thanks for the tip on meadowlands!!

[Bennie]

freehold was the first track I every visited. Was invited by 2 co-workers to skip work and go down there. Never forget the trip. The owner of the car we rode in was a drunk who kept a bottle of vodka under his seat, so the other guy drove. When we got there, the drunk was wasted and just sat on the benches the whole time. The other guy, who was the "expert" had the winner of every race. Of course he would thumb through a stack of tickets each race to show me the winner. I knew nothing back then so I just bet 1-4 exacta boxes each race and made a few bucks. Not to give my age away, but that was before the Meadowlands even opened. Been there a few times over the years, mostly for simulcasting before the OTB were open and when there was a game or concert at the Meadowlands. My wife would drop me off and go to the mall for a couple of hours or we would park at the Barnes and Noble and she would browse and I would walk to the track and make my bets.

[Just a Fan]

I rarely go there anymore. I remember on sunny days in the winter, if you stood out on the track apron, foot long icicles from the roof would melt just enough to dislodge, slide down, and fall from the sky like missles.

I would feel congestion in my throat every time I left that place because it was so smoky before the no-smoking law took affect. The racing was pretty good until YR and PA got slots. Went downhill real quick.

[TBred17Roan]

Before the mall I used to drive south on route 9 and pass under the Freehold bridge with the sign that said something like "on this bridge pass the worlds greatest pacers and trotters"...........a very very long time ago!

[arno]

In the early 70s I used to take the subway from the Bronx to NYC port of authority bus terminal. There was a bus that went from port of authority right to freehold raceway. I can't remember if I went on Tuesday or Thursday. One of those days was ladies day and figured I could get better prices due to a less informed crowd.


Highlight for me was hearing Jack E Lee call a race by announcing its Prides Pomp by 75 lengths at the 3/4. Horse ended up winning by a neck. For some unknown reason I remember the driver Sol Josloff.

Never did I think this Bronx kid would spend his adulthood living in Monmouth County near Freehold.

[iceknight]

will check out BigM then!!

[iceknight]

will check out BigM then!! I should thank all the people for the valuable comments. I did go to BigM but like someone else said Opening night parking was very chaotic so after wasting time in the parking line, I ditched the idea and went back to PA. However, but not before trying to see if there was a way to sneak in through some service entrance on the side.. :lol:

Will check out Meadowlands on my next trip to the Jersey!