Meadowlands | Horse Racing Free Tips

Dinerman Named Track Announcer at Monmouth Park

Monmouth Park has named Matt Dinerman the new track announcer for the 2024 racing season, which gets underway on Saturday, May 11. The 2024 Monmouth racing season runs through Sept. 15, after which Dinerman will take the mic at the Meadowlands for the all-turf, 10-day season in East Rutherford.

“I'm delighted to be joining the team at Monmouth,” said Dinerman, a 31-year-old native of California. “It's an honor to be selected as their next voice. Monmouth is a beautiful racetrack with a large, enthusiastic fan base that supports great racing. I'm really looking forward to meeting and being a part of the community.”

Dinerman, currently the voice of Oaklawn Park, began his announcing career at the age of 22 at Emerald Downs. Before moving to Oaklawn late last year, he was the track announcer and handicapper at Golden Gate Fields for six years.

“Matt is a great addition for Monmouth Park,” said General Manager Bill Anderson. “His accurate, spot-on calls, coupled with his enthusiasm are a great fit here in Oceanport. I'm certain he'll add to the long list of great voices that have called Monmouth Park their home.”

Matt follows Chris Griffin, Jason Beem, Frank Mirahmadi, Travis Stone and Larry Collmus, all who have been the full-time announcers at Monmouth Park for the past 30 years.

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Graded-Stakes Winning Jockey Doug Thomas Dead At 78

Douglas Thomas, a graded-stakes winning jockey who raced primarily at Monmouth Park in the 1970's and 80's, died March 9 at the age of 78 according to an obituary written by R.G.C. Thomas and sent by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey. An earner of over $21m in his career, Thomas retired in 1997 having made over 18,000 starts, many of them at tracks across New Jersey and New York. According to his obituary, Thomas was named the leading apprentice rider at Aqueduct in 1968 and was subsequently the leading rider at the Meadowlands in four consecutive years from 1977 to 1981.

The post Graded-Stakes Winning Jockey Doug Thomas Dead At 78 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Larry Lederman, 67, Dies

by Frank Drucker, on behalf of the Lederman family

There can't possibly be another track announcer as unique as Larry Lederman.

Hell, there can't possibly be another human as unique as Larry Lederman.

Lawrence Brian Lederman died Mar. 5, at his home in East Windsor, New Jersey, weeks after his 67th birthday.

That Larry survived more than a dozen years with an inoperable brain tumor (winning that game of under/over) was a testament to his acerbic wit, unyielding faith, biting sense of humor and a shrewdness/stubbornness to realize the multitudes who loved him wanted him around (let's not forget his many medical friends).

A dear friend described Larry as 'a gentle and generous soul. His approach to the cancer treatment was to take it as far as he could, which is why he was able to sustain so long after the passing of his beloved wife and daughter.'

…and he brought pies to those who were taking care of him.

Born and raised in Manhattan, Larry caught the track bug early, even before sharing a stand-up microphone with some guy named Robin Williams.

He was a three-decade-plus Harness/Thoroughbred announcer extraordinaire at New Jersey's Atlantic City Race Course, Freehold Raceway and Garden State Park, plus an in-demand guest at more venues than this space permits.

His calls were clear, concise, comical and, above all, correct.

…then, there were the voices.

Larry interjected so many spot-on impressions, and dropped so many names into the course of a race, you'd swear it was a fire hazard having that many people in the booth.

His Jackie Mason was so good, Jackie Mason wasn't sure if he, himself was indeed Jackie Mason.

The silver screen took notice, recruiting Larry to be the off-camera track announcer in 1993's 'A Bronx Tale.'

There was commercial voice-over work as well, but it was his equine passion, and his compassion toward others, that made Larry Larry.

As was mentioned, Larry was predeceased by his wife, Jodi, and their daughter, Leslie. Larry is survived by his brother, Alan, son, Scott and grandson, Cayden LoBianco.

Listing his extended family, both in and out of racing (shout-outs to the Christian Harness Horsemen's Association and the Meadowlands) would take way too long.

Here's the irony…anyone who tries to be the next Larry Lederman would be nothing more than a poor imitation of someone who never did a poor imitation.

TDN's Bill Finley, for 40 years a friend of Lederman, said: “Not only was Larry a great and colorful announcer, he was maybe the nicest guy on the planet. He cared more about others than himself. As announcers go, there was no one else like him. He was so clever and so creative that he could have you laughing after listening to his call of a $5,000 claimer. I got to know him even better during the many years he was battling this terrible disease, which happened to concur with the loss of his wife and his daughter. He was truly dealt a horrible hand, but he stayed remarkably upbeat and optimistic through the entire ordeal. Cancer or not, he kept you laughing. This is a great loss and not just for horse racing but for mankind.”

While Larry's services are private, those who desire honoring him might consider a donation to the Christian Harness Horsemen's Association or a cancer- or hospice-related charity.

Remembering Larry Lederman

“He was an outstanding race caller,” said Dave Johnson, the longtime voice of the GI Kentucky Derby on ABC. “He had a unique sense of humor that he blended into his work. He was a very funny and decent guy. I had touched base with him through emails before he passed away on Tuesday and he was in a good mood. He's in a better place. 'It's such a shame.”

“Larry was a creative, passionate, skilled race caller and an even better friend,” Caton Bredar said in a tweet. “We got to spend time him during our Atlantic City days which were the best of times. Truly one of the good guys.”

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NJ Governor Murphy Vetoes Bill To Extend Purse Subsidies Through 2029; Drazin Optimistic Deal Will Still Get Done

A bill that would have extended annual purse subsidy payments made to New Jersey's Thoroughbred and Standardbred tracks was vetoed Wednesday by Gov. Phil Murphy. The bill called for the $20 million subsidy, which is split between the two breeds, to continue through 2029.

The money has already been approved for 2024. The extension was to run from 2025 through 2029.

Murphy vetoed 12 bills in all, using what is called a pocket veto. That type of veto applies only to bills sent to the governor's desk in the final 10 days of a legislative session. If the governor does not sign such bills within seven days of the end of a session those bills are vetoed without being sent back to the Legislature.

Murphy's decision came as a major surprise since he has largely supported racing during his time in office and the bill had overwhelming support in the Senate and in the Assembly. It passed the Senate by a 35-1 margin and the Assembly by a 73-0 margin.

The purse subsidy is vital to Monmouth Park, which, without it, would offer far smaller purses and have trouble competing for horses with the many other tracks in the Mid-Atlantic region.

“If we didn't get this money, it would be a disaster,” said Dennis Drazin, the chairman and CEO of Darby Development, the management team that operates Monmouth. “We'd either have to cut days or purses.”

Drazin admits he was alarmed when first hearing news of the veto and he immediately placed a call to Murphy. Drazin said he heard back within 15 minutes and the governor reassured him that future purse subsidies remain very much alive.

“I spoke with him and he wholeheartedly supports the industry, but he did not feel a bill like this should get passed through a lame-duck session,” Drazin said. “He is committed to continue to work on it and get it done through the budget process. I take him at his word. He has been supportive of the industry ever since he's been in office and he says he will get it done, just not the way it was being handled. I trust this governor. He made a commitment and I am taking him at his word. If he had said, 'I'm vetoing it', that's it, we'd be having a different conversation.”

The post NJ Governor Murphy Vetoes Bill To Extend Purse Subsidies Through 2029; Drazin Optimistic Deal Will Still Get Done appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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