About Us
The Hambletonian Society Today
Today
the Society's responsibilities include the management of 129 of harness racing's
most important events at 17 North American tracks, including the 46 races
which it owns. From an administrative standpoint, this includes the collection
of over $13.3 million dollars in 2005 (consisting of some 96,096 individual
eligibility payments from horse owners and breeders, as well as the added
monies provided by race tracks and other stakes sponsors) and the distribution
of those funds in purses to the winning horse owners. In 2005, the Society
oversaw the administration and payout of more than $18.2 million in purses.
The Society has also standardized the format of the race conditions for the
convenience of horsemen and assists the tracks in implementation of the races.
In recent years...
...the Society has taken an active role in engaging corporate participation
and acquiring national television for the Hambletonian and the Breeders Crown
program, thereby raising the profile of the standardbred industry through
its publicity and marketing efforts. Among the accomplishments and ongoing
endeavors of the Society in these areas:
- Securely established the future prominence of the Hambletonian Stake
by extending the relationship with the Meadowlands, home to the race since
1981. Presently contracted through the year 2012, the nation's premier
harness facility has guaranteed a purse of $1.7 million, making it the
richest harness race in the world. The agreement with the Meadowlands means
the track will host the Hambletonian for a record 29 years.
- Structured the Hambletonian Oaks as a distaff companion race with a guaranteed
purse of $850,000, making it the richest race ever offered for filly trotters.
Initiated
the Breeders Crown championship series, the first vehicle in the sport
conceived exclusively for marketing and the medium of television. The program
is designed to enhance the Standardbred breeding industry by providing
a lucrative high profile championship race in each of the twelve traditional
categories of age, gait & gender. The series has disbursed more than
$122,805,733 million in purses over 250 events and provided a public relations
and marketing venue unmatched in the sport.
- Instituted a national marketing program, and pioneered corporate packages
for harness events. The series has attracted such recognizable sponsorship
partners such as AT&T, Cadillac, Certified Vacations, Continental
Airlines, GM of Canada, Foxwoods Resort Casino, MBNA America Bank, Purina
Mills, 3M, Sundowner Trailers, Tiffany & Co., and the Tourism Corporations
of New Jersey, Ontario and Virginia.
- Developed a comprehensive media guide available in the sport of harness
racing for the Breeders Crown. In addition, an extensive publicity and
public relations support program is provided for the Breeders Crown and
Hambletonian.
- Implemented the nationally distributed Hambletonian Society/Breeders
Crown Top Ten Poll which is disseminated weekly by Harness Racing Communications.
- In partnership with the Meadowlands, fostered a long standing relationship
with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the harness industry that
has resulted in raising close to $600,000 to benefit at-risk children.
Additional charitable recipients have included the Standardbred Retirement
Foundation and the Harness Racing museum and Hall of Fame. The Annual Hambletonian
Charity Golf Tournament and Auction has raised more than $840,000 in proceeds.
Secured
the sport's longest established national television exposure for its premier
events. The Hambletonian has been on CBS since 1994. Prior to that the
stake was televised as far back as 1964 on that network as well as ABC,
NBC and ESPN. The Hambletonian returned to NBC in 2007 and will be televised
through NBC until 2009. The Breeders Crown series has been a fixture on
ESPN and TSN since its inception in 1984 through 1999. There have been
78 Breeders Crown TV broadcasts, and in partnership with the Meadowlands,
the Society has been instrumental in the network production of the Hambletonian
since 1987. To facilitate harness racing programming, the Society has retained
an outside television consultant since 1984. In 2006, a Breeders Crown
recap/Hambletonian preview was aired on OLN (Outdoor Life Network), broadcast
home of the Tour de France and many other classic sporting events.
- Assisted in the formulation of The Classic Series and currently services
the program.
- Actively encouraged the Triple Crown of Trotting. This triad of races,
the Yonkers Trot, Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity, has stood as the
ultimate test of a 3-year-old trotting champion since its inception in
1955. In addition to the Hambletonian, the Society services the Yonkers
Trot and helped to secure alternative venues for it in 2004 (Hawthorne
Raceway) and 2005 (Freehold Raceway) when casino construction at Yonkers
threatened its continuity. The Society services two legs of the Triple
Crown of Pacing, the Cane Pace and Messenger Stakes.
- In cooperation with the Little Brown Jug Society, Meadowlands Racetrack,
Illinois Department of Agriculture which operates the DuQuoin State Fair,
Woodbine Entertainment Group and The Red Mile created the Grand Slam of
Pacing Bonus and the Grand Slam of Trotting Bonus, both worth $1,000,000.
The Grand Slam bonus was in effect from 2001-2003.
- Forged a partnership with the Meadowlands to provide year-round publicity
and promotion of the Hambletonian and Breeders Crown, Hambletonian charity
functions and involvement in other projects int he best interest of the
standardbred industry.
- Along with the Meadowlands developed both a book, America's Trotting Classic and an award-winning broadcast, The Race to Glory, commemorating 75 years of Hambletonian history.
The Society works cooperatively...
...with the United States Trotting Association, Standardbred Canada, Harness Tracks of America, The Racing Medication & Testing Consortium and Harness Horsemen International, among others, in furthering the best interests of the standardbred industry. It has always supported other vital industry organizations such as: the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, the Harness Horse Youth Foundation, the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, and the American Horse Council as well maintaining a cooperative spirit with international harness groups in order to advance the breeding of the Standardbred worldwide.
