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Tioga and Vernon Downs would like to let all of its horsemen know that stall applications are available for the 2012 race seasons on the Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs websites.

For the first time, both tracks' applications can be completed and submitted electronically under their respective racing tabs on their websites.

Stall applications close on March 9th, and both the Tioga & Vernon backstretches open for the 2012 race season on April 1st.

"We felt that giving our horsemen the option of filing their stall applications electronically made it more convenient and accessible to all of the horsemen that move and travel throughout the year," said VP of Racing and Simulcast, Jason M. Settlemoir.

Vernon Downs kicks off its 90-day race meet on Friday, April 27, with Tioga Downs beginning its 61-day race meet on Kentucky Derby Day – Saturday, May 5th (Both pending regulatory approval).

Tioga Downs' new paddock construction is well ahead of schedule with the continuation of unseasonably warm weather in the northeast.

The race office, commission office, and beautiful new nine-race paddock will be ready for the April 1st backstretch opening.

For more information or to fill out a 2012 stall application please click on the online stall application.

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More than 50 of the area's finest wannabe singing sensations strutted their stuff at the Tioga Downs Rockokie Auditions on this past Thursday.

They were all trying to impress the judges enough to earn one of the 20 spots in the main competition.

Those 20 singers will compete for 4 weeks leading up to the finals on March 30th at 7:00pm. A complete schedule of the competition can be found here http://bit.ly/ysAW9e

The first round of the competition is February 17th at 7:00pm.

The winner of the Rockokie Star Contest receives $5,000. The second place finisher gets $2,000; third place gets $1,000 and all finishers in the top 12 will receive at least $100.

Here is the list of the 20 singers who will compete for the top prize:
1. Angel Acosta
2. Bobby Neira
3. Angelica Carozzi
4. Tiffany Jhingoor
5. Shawn Delahanty
6. Dean Wheeler
7. Matt Smith
8. Hailey Wiggins
9. Joanna Yaeger
10. Mariah Conrad
11. Mary Brown
12. Ashley Lux
13. Tyler Wells
14. Nick Pasquale
15. Amanda Hungerford
16. Tory Daral
17. Kylie Taft
18. Kathleen Collins
19. Jeremy Cramer
20. Marissa Hromek

Here is video of some of the highlights of the auditions.

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In its short history, the Miss Versatility series has become a highlight on the annual schedule for trotting mares and the 2012 edition will be bigger and richer.

The purses for the series legs have been raised from $25,000 to $40,000 ($30,000 div) and the number of legs has been increased from three to four.

For the first time, the Woodbine Entertainment Group will be a participant and will host the first two legs at Mohawk on Sunday, May 20 and Sunday, July 1.

The Meadowlands will present leg #3 on Friday, August 17 with Tioga Downs the stage for the fourth leg on Sunday, August 26.

The $100,000E final will again be raced on Jug Day (Thursday, September 20) at the Delaware County fairgrounds.

The connections of those mares racing in the final will once again be entitled to complimentary tickets for the tent festivities courtesy of the Little Brown Jug Society.

Complete nomination information and forms are available at the Tioga Downs website.

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Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs have finalized their 2012 race and stakes schedule for the upcoming race season (pending regulatory approval).

Tioga Downs will hold 61 live racing days in 2012, set to begin on Saturday, May 5th (Kentucky Derby Day) in Nichols, New York.

Highlighting the 2012 stakes calendar at Tioga Downs is the $200,000 estimated Artiscape Pace for open mare pacers and the $200,000 estimated Bettor's Delight Open Pace.

Both races are scheduled for Sunday, June 10.

Tioga Downs will once again host the first leg of Pacing's Triple Crown, the Cane Pace, with eliminations on Sunday, August 26th and the final on Monday, September 3rd.

The Empire Breeders' Classic for 3-year-old New York bred pacers will be held later in the year, as in years past, with eliminations on Sunday, August 5th, and the $250,000 estimated finals being held a week later on Sunday, August 12th.

Other marquee events held at Tioga Downs in 2012 will include: Tompkins-Geers, a leg of the Miss Versatility, The Shady Daisy, and the Historic Stakes.

Vernon Downs will kick off its 2012 race season on Friday, April 27th to open up its 90-day race meet from April 27th through November 3rd.

Vernon Downs will be the 2012 host of American Racing and Entertainment's marquee event, the $50,000 Drivers' Championship, which has been held at Tioga Downs since it inception in 2007.
The Drivers' Championship will share the spotlight at Vernon Downs with the $700,000 estimated Zweig Memorial Trot, on Sunday, August 26th.

The $200,000 estimated Muscle Hill Open Mare Trot and $200,000 estimated Credit Winner Open Trot will also return to Vernon Downs in 2012 on Friday, September 7th.

The $500,000 estimated Empire Breeders' Classic for New York bred trotters will headline the month of June at Vernon Downs, with the eliminations on Friday, June 1st and the $250,000 estimated finals a week later on Friday, June 8th.

Also scattered around the 2012 stakes schedule at Vernon Downs will be a leg of the Miss Versatility Trotting Series, Historic Stakes, along with legs and the final of the $175,000 Kindergarten Classic.

"We pride ourselves at Tioga & Vernon on the racing product and promotions we offer our fans during the summer months in upstate New York, and look forward to what we hope will be the best year yet for Tioga and Vernon Downs," said Jason M. Settlemoir, VP of Racing and Simulcast.

For more information on Tioga Downs or Vernon Downs, please visit us online at www.tiogadowns.com and www.vernondowns.com.

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American Racing and Entertainment, which operates two Racetracks and Casinos in Upstate New York, showed impressive gains in numbers in 2011 at both Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs.

Tioga Downs posted a 9.8% increase in casino credits played ($66.5 million) for 2011 when compared to 2010, with net revenue for the casino up 7.5%, or $4 million dollars.

The food and beverage numbers at Tioga Downs also saw a large increase, due in part to a $5 buffet promotion held the last quarter of the year.

The Food and Beverage number closed out 2011 with a 7.7% increase.

The Tioga Downs gift shop showed the largest increase in business in 2011 with a 92.7% increase over 2010.

Vernon Downs also posted strong increases in business in 2011 with casino credits played at the upstate casino increasing 14.1% ($64 million) over 2010, with net revenue for the casino posting a 2.6% increase in business, good for $1.1 million dollars.

The Food and Beverage department also posted strong gains in 2011, increasing business 18.3% over 2010.

Vernon Downs also had traffic at the property increase sharply during 2011, with attendance being up 11.6% over 2010.

Vernon Downs' significant increases in casino play were helped with the addition of the tax-exempt free play program that began in April 2011.

Also driving business in 2011 for Vernon Downs was the opening of the $8.9 million hotel expansion that included a multi-purpose convention space for concerts, weddings, catering, and receptions, along with a new state-of-the-art simulcasting facility and the luxurious Mr. G's Food and Spirits restaurant.

Tioga Downs Casino is open year-round with video gaming machines, simulcast horse racing, restaurants, a sports bar and special entertainment events.

It is located along the north side of NY Route 17/ I-86, two miles west of exit 62 in Nichols, NY.

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Tioga Downs Casino will hold a Press Conference Saturday, January 14th at 1pm at the Nichols Fire Department on 104 West River Road in Nichols, to unveil the Nichols Fire Department's new Rescue Boat.

The boat was made possible by a contribution from Jeff Gural, owner of Tioga Downs and President of American Racing and Entertainment.

The Nichols Fire Department's previous rescue boat, which they had acquired after the 2006 flood, was damaged by debris during rescue operations on September 8, 2011.

They were forced to use a smaller boat owned by a fire department member for the rest of the flood recovery operations.

When the loss of the rescue boat came to the attention of Tioga Downs's staffers, Chief Kittle of the Nichols Fire Department was contacted and Mr. Gural offered financial assistance to make the purchase of the $22,000 craft a reality.

According to Mr. Gural,"We are pleased to be able to help provide this important piece of equipment to the Nichols Fire Department Water Rescue Team, which greatly improves their ability to keep our community safe."

Tioga Downs Casino is open year-round with video gaming machines, simulcast horse racing, restaurants, a sports bar and special entertainment events. It is located along the north side of NY Route 17/ I-86, two miles west of exit 62 in Nichols, NY.

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Courtesy of the United States Harness Writers Association:

Voting for the Railbird Recognition Awards ended on New Year's Eve and the voice of the fans of harness racing have been heard. After nearly 8,000 votes were cast, Jeff Gural was named the 2011 Horseperson of the Year and Big Bad John's Little Brown Jug win was tabbed as the most memorable Racing Moment of 2011.

Jeff Gural, who owns and operates Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs in New York State and who also spearheaded major change in the racing landscape there, stepped in and took the lead role in an attempt to save Meadowlands Racetrack from being permanently shuttered after the State of New Jersey decided to cut ties with the racing industry.

A longtime owner and breeder himself, Gural knew if the Meadowlands went down, the rest of the industry would more than likely follow.

In a short time and without many options, Gural was able to broker agreements with the state of New Jersey as well as various labor unions and horsemen's groups in order to lay the foundation that would ultimately lead to the re-opening of the mecca of harness racing this Friday (January 6) and guarantee its survival with a 30-year lease.

During the negotiations, Gural stated, "I would say this is mostly about my caring about harness racing. There are a lot of people whose livelihoods depend on this."

And as a result of Gural's hard work, the livelihoods of a lot of people will be protected for the foreseeable future.

After learning of how the fans of racing felt about his efforts, Gural said, "I was very happy to hear I was chosen by the fans to receive this award; it means a great deal to me. I would like to thank them all for their support and pledge to them that I will do everything I can to make the racing product at the new Meadowlands Racetrack something we can all be proud of."

In winning Horseperson of the Year, Jeff Gural received 47 percent of the fans' votes. George Brennan, who had an outstanding year driving, finished second with 28 percent.

September in Delaware, Ohio, is always an exciting time, but the scene this year was one that (obviously) a lot of people remembered.

Ohio owned by Ed Telle, Ohio trained by Ron Potter and Ohio driven by David Miller, local hero Big Bad John became the first horse stabled year round at the Delaware County Fairgrounds to win the Little Brown Jug.

Big Bad John's win didn't come easy as Up The Credit pushed him to the half before second heat winner Roll With Joe pulled and dueled him all the way to the wire.

But the hard fought win was an epic moment as the 50,000-plus on hand roared as the colt crossed the wire first and returned to the winner's circle.

When Ed Telle learned of winning this award he said, "That race was a moment I'll never forget. It was an all Buckeye win and we must have had 300 people in the winner's circle. It was exciting to hear the fans' reaction to such a special moment then, and I am happy that by virtue of this award, it has remained such a great racing memory for them now."

Telle continued, "Big Bad John is a very special horse. He knows his business and he knows what to do when he hits the track. He is in to go at Pompano Saturday (January 7) and if he wins, he will become a millionaire and he will be retired. He will be standing at Midland Acres in Ohio as we will try to start the next generation of Ohio-bred greatness with him. It's only right that he stands in Ohio."

Voting for Racing Moment of the Year was very close as Big Bad John's Jug received 28 percent of the fans' vote. George Brennan winning both the Hambo and the Oaks was second with 25 percent and San Pail's Breeders Crown victory was third with 24 percent.

Jeff Gural and the connections of Big Bad John will be presented the fan voted Railbird Recognition Awards at the 2012 Dan Patch Awards Banquet in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday, February 12.

Tickets for the dinner will be $125 per person, and tables of ten are available.

Ticket reservations can be made by e-mailing or calling Callie Davies-Gooch at callie@hambletonian.org or 732.547.9459 or Steven Wolf at stevejw@bellsouth.net or 954.654.3757.

Anyone attending the banquet should note that the host hotel for the weekend festivities, which includes the annual USHWA national meetings, is the Doubletree Orlando by Hilton Hotel at SeaWorld. Rooms are now available for booking, either by phone or internet, and are at a special rate of $109 per night, plus tax. The hotel has extended this special rate from February 7 through February 16 for those wishing to come in early or stay later. To make hotel reservations, call 800.327.0363 and ask for the special USHWA rate using the code "C-DPA."

The 2012 Dan Patch Awards will not only honor all the leading horsemen, horsewomen, and equine stars of the 2011 season, but will also pay tribute to the peerless career of the great Stanley F. Bergstein, the only person in the harness racing industry who is a member of both the Hall of Fame and its Communicators Corner.

The Railbird Recognition fan voting was a joint effort of the United States Harness Writers Association and the United States Trotting Association.

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With the mild winter weather thus far in the northeast, the new paddock for the 2012 race season at Tioga Downs has been progressing quickly.

The new paddock has been relocated to the western side of the racetrack to be located in the backstretch by the ship-in barn.

The new paddock is being increased to an eight race paddock and will also hold the race office and commission office for the New York State Racing $ Wagering Board.

The plan is to use the new paddock on opening day of the 2012 race season scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2012 (Pending Regulatory Approval).

"We are excited about the new paddock being located in the backstretch for the 2012 race season, and believe that this will make Tioga Downs an even more attractive racing destination for horsemen on the East Coast," said Guy Howard, President of the Southern Tier Harness Horsemen's Association.

For more information on Tioga Downs please visit us online at www.tiogadowns.com.

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With the final days of 2011 winding down, our racing experts weighed in on the best races of the 2011 racing season. Let's count down our top 10.

#10 Coaching Club Trotting Oaks - June 25th
The Historic Series made its Tioga Downs debut this summer and special filly helped make it a memorable weekend. Jezzy was nearly perfect as a 2-year-old and came back in 2011 as a 3-year-old breathing fire again. Jezzy dominated her competition causing track announcer Darin Zoccali to proclaim her America's top trotting filly. Jezzy finished the year with 10 wins and earnings of $543,652.


#9 Tompkins Geers Grand Circuit Stakes - July 14th
Jezzy had been the Tioga Downs track record for 2-year-old trotting fillies until July's Tompkins-Geers. That's when a lightly raced filly lived up to her name and announced her arrival to harness racing stardom. Check Me Out smashed the track record by nearly two full seconds, trotting in 1:56 for trainer Ray Schnittker. Check Me Out earned the Dan Patch Award as divisional champion while winning 16 of 18 and earning more than $900,000.


#8 New York Sire Stakes - September 3rd
Turns out, Ray Schnittker knows a thing or two about young trotters. He makes his third straight appearance on this countdown; this time, with his 2-year-old trotting colt Delano. Speed was on full display when the New York Sire Stakes came to town in early September. Royal Shyster was the early clubhouse leader with a track record performance in Race 6, but his mark was short lived. Two races later, Schnittker struck with an eye-popping performance by Delano, racing the mile in 1:55.2.

#7 World Driving Championship - August 1st
August saw the first ever appearance by the World Driving Championship at Tioga Downs and the Kiwi sensation, Dexter Dunn, stole the show with his last-to-first burst with longshot Charismatic in the second leg of the series. Dunn and his fellow foreign drivers brought a whole new style of driving to the States that created some of the most exciting racing of the season. Dunn won the Tioga round of the World Driving Championship. Jody Jamieson won the overall championship and followed that up by winning the Tioga Downs Drivers Challenge later in August.

#6 Tompkins Geers Grand Circuit Stakes - July 17th
When the weather got hot, so did the racing surface at Tioga. July's Tompkins Geers Grand Circuit Stakes showed off some major horsepower. Flipper J had just set the track record at Goshen a week before he showed up at Tioga. Tim Tetrick left hard off the starting gate and never slowed down, pacing to a sub-1:50 mile and the track record for 3-year-old colt pacers.

#5 Empire Breeders Classic Final - May 29th
Memorial Day weekend has traditionally been home to the Empire Breeders Classic. This year's was truly a classic with favorites Feel Like a Fool and Fashion Delight needing every inch of the mile to decide a winner. In the end, Fashion Delight and David Miller held off Feel Like a Fool in another EBC thriller.


#4 Miss Versatility - June 19th
Father's Day saw the return of the Miss Versatility and even though it was June on the calendar, it felt more like autumn, thanks to the sensational trotting mare Autumn Escapade. She equaled the fastest trotting mile in Tioga Downs history. Autumn Escapade and driver George Brennan stopped the teletimer in 1:52.3, tying the all ages track record set by Manningly and setting the track record for an aged mare.


#3 Artiscape Open Mare Pace - June 12th
The Artiscape has become a major fixture on the racing calendar for the aged pacing mares. Last year's event was won by world champion Dreamfair Eternal. She could only manage fourth this year behind this year's Dan Patch champion Anndrovette, who sped away to a 1:49.4 win, the fastest mile ever for a 4-year-old pacing mare at Tioga Downs. Anndrovette added a Breeders' Crown win to her resume en route to banking nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.


#2 Empire Breeders Classic Final - May 29th
No horse captured the spotlight this year more than filly sensation See You at Peelers. She graced the pages of Sports Illustrated, the New York Times and USA Today thanks to her 22-race winning streak. Perhaps her most brilliant performance came in May's Empire Breeders Classic when Peelers raced her way into the world record books, with this eye popping 1:49 and 2 win.


#1 Bettor's Delight Open Pace - June 12th
It takes a lot to top that performance but this one will be talked about for years to come. With perhaps the deepest field ever assembled featuring no fewer than six millionaires, the 2nd edition of the Bettor's Delight was our race of the year. The sport's fastest horses went all-out with a gutsy son of Bettor's Delight refusing to be beaten in a world record mile. Bettor Sweet put his name into history with a 1:48.1 win in the Bettor's Delight and it's the Tioga Downs top race of 2011.

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Tioga Downs Casino held a press conference this past Sunday, and CEO Jeff Gural presented checks to local organizations and charities.

Gural presented the Southern Tier Veteran's Support Group with a check for $65,011 to Al Eaton from this summer's Wynonna Judd concert where all ticket proceeds were donated to the Veterans.

Rod Ballengee and Dot Richters were on hand to receive their checks for the Salvation Army and Community Care Network from the proceeds of the Sha Na Na concert and County Fair Buffet donations from customers aiding to the flood relief.

Salvation Army received a check for $14,195 while Community Care Network was presented with $10,000.

Finally, two personal $5,000 donations from Jeff Gural were made to CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse) and Marine Corp League.

The $5,000 donation to the Marine Corp League will be used to purchase gifts for kids 11–13 years of age in the local area who were affected by the September flood.

In addition to the $5,000, gifts were also donated to the Marine Corp League which amounted to over $10,000.

Tioga Downs Casino, Nichols, New York, you must be 18 years old to play video gaming machines, please play responsibly.

For more information please contact us online at www.tiogadowns.com (1-888-WIN-TIOGA).

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Employees at Tioga Downs Casino are doing their part to help the community this holiday season.

The staff raised $10,294 for the Tioga United Way, smashing the $9,000 fund raising goal set.

In addition to the employees' donations, American Racing and Entertainment, the parent company of Tioga Downs, is matching the amount and ARE chairman Jeffrey Gural is making a $5,000 contribution, bringing the total donation to $25,588.

"It's wonderful to see the corporate benevolence that exists in some places and this contribution is a tribute to that benevolence," said Tioga United Way Executive Director Brian Eldridge. "I can't tell you how much we appreciate that. It's just neat the way Tioga Downs looks at the community. It goes from the top to the bottom. When the employees see the chairman at Tioga Downs giving the way he gives, it's a perfect example of shadowing the leader."

"This is a great accomplishment during these tough economic times and, as always, I am proud of to be part of this team," said Jason M. Settlemoir, Tioga Downs Regional Vice President of Racing and Simulcast. Settlemoir also serves as the United Way's annual campaign chairman.

"Anything we can do to help," said Jeffrey Gural, chairman of American Racing and Entertainment. "It's been a challenging year for many people around our area and I'm very proud of our employees for stepping up to the plate during the holiday season."

The vision at the United Way is: As the recognized Tioga County leader in developing and nurturing the capacity of our community to care for people, we will provide for our community's changing needs through donors, volunteers, staff and service providers, working together as the heart of a compassionate system.

For more information on Tioga Downs, visit their website at www.tiogadowns.com

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Tioga Downs Casino is proud of its maintenance department who tirelessly worked around the town of Nichols weeks after severe flooding impacted the local area.

The 16-person crew worked from September 11th through the end of October to help local residents clean up what the September 7th flood had left behind.

The crew members were the first responders on West River Road who helped clear debris and mud from the roadway to make it passable, and then, began assisting by picking up all of the garbage residents had left on the side of the road and had it removed.

"All the thanks go to the 16-person crew who were out there day in and day out helping our local community try to get back to some kind of normal life after what Mother Nature left behind," said Facilities Director Jeff Morrow. "I was just the co-coordinator for the most part in the project, the crew deserves all of the credit and we are all very proud and thankful of everything they have done."

The maintenance department staff is pictured and is as follows: (Bottom row left to right) Randy White, Joe Baldwin, Mike Moon, Jeff Morrow, Randy Clapper. (Top row left to right) Kevin Price, John Sill, Zach Short, Ron Blake, Kyle Sitzer, Mike Beavers, Chris Berwald, Wayne Leonard, Archie Haner (Not pictured – Valoree Anderson and Tom Brink)

Tioga Downs Casino, Nichols, New York, you must be 18 years old to play video gaming machines, please play responsibly.

For more information please contact us online at www.tiogadowns.com (1-888-WIN-TIOGA).

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Tioga Downs Casino will offer free valet parking and a $5.00 buffet to its Veterans on Friday, November 11th (Veterans' Day) as a sign of our appreciation for all that our military personnel do.

Veterans are asked to show their military ID to the valet staff when they pull to the front of the Casino on Friday, November 11th and also to the cashier at the buffet to receive their $5.00 buffet.

"We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all of our veterans, both young and old, and this is our way of showing our appreciation to these brave men and women," said Chairman of American Racing and Entertainment, Jeff Gural.

Tioga Downs Casino is open year-round with video gaming machines, simulcast horse racing, restaurants, a sports bar and special entertainment events.

It is located along the north side of NY Route 17/ I-86, two miles west of exit 62 in Nichols, NY.

You must be 18 years old to play video gaming machines, please play responsibly.

For more information please contact us online at www.tiogadowns.com (1-888-WIN-TIOGA).

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Courtesy of the United States Harness Writers Association:

Harrisburg, PA - Jeff Gural, Tom Luchento, and Leo McNamara, the three lead forces fighting for the longterm surviving and thriving of the sport's premier track, the Meadowlands, have been selected by U.S. Harness Writers Association president Jason Settlemoir for President's Awards, to be given at the Dan Patch Awards banquet on Sunday (Feb. 12) at the DoubleTree Orlando by Hilton Hotel at SeaWorld.

Gural, a New York real estate developer and longtime Standardbred owner and breeder, was already the owner of two New York tracks, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs, when he became the point man in gathering the necessary capital to acquire and revamp the Meadowlands.

Luchento, a former trainer/driver, is the president of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, and McNamara, who has run many successful breeding operations, is SBOANJ's executive administrator.

The horsemen's group is working with Gural and his partners to bring about the vision of a new and reinvigorated Meadowlands, including the construction of a new grandstand.

Settlemoir, also vice president of racing and simulcasting at Tioga and Vernon, said, "I don't know of three individuals more worthy of this small token of appreciation than Jeffrey Gural, Tommy Luchento, and Leo McNamara, for their work in saving our 'flagship' track, the Meadowlands, which was on the brink of closure. All three have played key roles in moving the state-operated racetrack into private hands.

"Gural contacted Luchento about the future of the Meadowlands and was told that the Governor's Office was preparing a statement saying that the Meadowlands would be closing," Settlemoir explained. "Jeff, Tom, and Leo quickly arranged a meeting with Governor (Christie), and soon following the meeting Jeff signed a letter of intent with the Governor to lease the Meadowlands from the state.

"Jeff, Tommy, and Leo have since worked countless hours, and endured many sleepless nights, as they continue to try to figure out the puzzle that has been laid before them," Settlemoir continued. "What happens next is anyone's guess, but there is no doubt that these gentlemen went far beyond the call of duty in giving this much hope to continued racing at the Meadowlands, and for that and many more reasons, these President's Awards go to Jeff, Tommy, and Leo, along with great thanks for what you have done - and what you are going to continue to do."

For reservations at the DoubleTree, call (800) 327-0363 and use the code "C-DPA"; for banquet tickets, contact Steve Wolf at (954) 654-3757; to take a congratulatory ad in the Dinner Journal, inquire to Kim Rinker at (708) 557-2790.

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Courtesy of Kimberly Rinker for Harness Horsemen's International:

Chicago, IL - Jeff Gural, Tom Luchento, Jerry Connors and Sam McKee are being honored by Harness Horsemen International with a quartet of prestigious awards for 2011.

Gural has been named the recipient of the Dominic Frinzi Person of the Year Award, while Luchento and Connors are being honored with the HHI Appreciation Awards, and McKee with the Clyde Hirt Media Award.

Besides owning and operating Vernon and Tioga Downs in upstate New York, Gural took on his most ambitious project in 2011 -- buying and saving Meadowlands Racetrack, which was scheduled for closure by the State of New Jersey, owners of that facility since it opened in 1976.

Gural, 69, of New York, N.Y., has been "zealously dedicated to improving the Standardbred racing industry," said HHI member Sal DiMario. "Jeff’s efforts in saving the Meadowlands best illustrate what this award stands for."

Luchento, 65, of Freehold, N.J., is a former driver-trainer and the current president of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey.

"Tommy's efforts to save the Meadowlands were unrivaled and it was his dedication that led to Jeff Gural getting involved in this project," DiMario noted. "If not for Tommy's determination, a deal involving Jeff may have never materialized. Together these two men worked against astronomical odds to get this accomplished."

Connors, 55, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., is the Harness Racing Commission administrator of the PA Sire Stakes and Breeding Program and has served as the United States Harness Writer's Association secretary for over a decade.

"Jerry is an outstanding individual and long-time harness racing aficionado that serves Pennsylvania at the racetracks, breeding farms and fairs," said Kim Hankins of the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association. "He has worked at many tracks over the years and has also worked tirelessly as an officer of USHWA."

McKee, 49, of Blairstown, N.J., has been the "voice of The Meadowlands" for the past 12 seasons, serving as The Big M's full-time, on-track announcer, and is also the East Rutherford facility's Director of TV Operations (since 2003) and Director of Simulcasting (since 2007).

"I feel so fortunate to be involved at the top level of the sport," McKee noted. "It's beyond my wildest dreams."

All four men will be feted at the HHI annual awards banquet on Saturday (Dec. 3) at the Embassy Suites Resort and Spa, Deerfield Beach, Fla.