by John Pawlak, the U.S. Trotting Association

Video – A New Era Begins

Meadow Lands, PA — Moments after dignitaries cut the ribbon to formally open the Meadows Racetrack and Casino, hundreds of patrons who had stood outside on a rainy chilly morning streamed past those dignitaries, bent on placing a wager — presumably many of them on the afternoon’s harness racing card.

Bill Paulos of Cannery Casino Resorts addresses the crowd at the opening of the Meadows Racetrack and Casino.

“Today is the culmination of nearly five years of hard work,” Bill Paulos, a principal of Cannery Casino Resorts, which owns the Meadows, told the waiting crowd. “By fully integrating horse racing and gaming, we have created a true entertainment destination.”

The sport’s newest racetrack, which in no way resembles the structure built under the direction of Delvin Miller more than four decades ago, had been under construction for more than a year, and the $175 million structure does not disappoint fans of either racing or slots.

The 350,000 square foot complex does more than pay lip service to harness racing. There are eight restaurants, ranging from a deli to a high-end steakhouse, and seats in every one of them have a view of the racetrack. In addition, there are new outdoor seating and dining areas that should be at a premium when stakes such as the Adios, on Aug. 1, draw crowds.

USTA/Mark Hall photos

Kim Hankins buys the first pari-mutuel ticket from Jim Delaney, who sold tickets on the first night of the track’s original opening.

The complex also features five VIP boxes that may be rented by private groups, and which feature dining and race wagering facilities. Simulcast fans will enjoy a 200-seat area on the main level which features dozens of individual carrels, each with a flat-screen TV.

The Meadows’ 900-stall backstretch will get a facelift in the coming months. According to Kim Hankins, the executive director of the Meadows Standardbred Owners’ Association, $5 million has been earmarked to improve the barn area, which will complement the track’s new 10-race paddock.

Also on opening day, Meadows officials presented a check for $254,000 to local fire fighters, which will be split among nearly 50 fire departments in the region. The donation was generated by an invitation-only “preview” of the casino earlier this week, at which a reported $6 million clinked through the gaming machines.