Mark Mullen, manager of Fair Winds Farm, stands with Itune and her bay colt by Bettor’s Delight. JANE MEGGITT UPPER FREEHOLD — A sure sign of spring in this part of the county is the sight of foals frolicking in fields beside their mothers. This year, there are fewer of them than in years past.
Mark Mullen manages his family’s standardbred breeding operation, Fair Winds Farm. This year, he expects approximately 75 foals to be born at the farm, down significantly from the usual 125 babies in past years.
Of these, about 25 will be out of Fair Winds mares, while the majority of broodmares are owned by outside customers, he said.
Breeding racehorses is “getting difficult, particularly in New Jersey,” Mullen said. He said that competition from “racinos” — combined racetracks and casinos— in surrounding states is pulling business away from New Jersey, where video lottery terminals, or slots, are permitted only in Atlantic City.
A foal at Fair Winds Farm is one of a decreasing number in the state this year. Mullen said racing programs in states like New York and Pennsylvania are stronger due to higher purses as well as higher breeder’s awards.
“There’s a lot of incentive to breed and keep horses in Pennsylvania in particular,” he said.
Mullen said his farm has lost several clients who moved their mares to Pennsylvania to take advantage of the breeder’s awards, along with some who moved mares to New York.
“New Jersey, with no extra money from slots, is not competitive anymore,” he said, adding that because the state is already an expensive place to do business, it’s a double whammy.
“It’s not a level playing field between New Jersey and surrounding states,” he said .
The revenue from slots is setting records in Pennsylvania, and if owners move their mares there, that’s money lost to New Jersey, Mullen said.
He said that if Jeff Gural hadn’t stepped in and taken on the challenge of operating the Meadowlands after Gov. Chris Christie decided to close the nation’s premier harness track, which was operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and was losing money, the track would have ended up closing its doors.
Mullen said he feels that Christie really wanted horse racing to fold in the state, but Gural, who operates Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs racetracks in New York, came through at the eleventh hour.
“Without [Gural], I don’t know what Plan B would be,” he said.
Mullen said the sport must work aggressively to attract gamblers, noting that racing’s take-out is not competitive with other forms of gaming.
Gambling economics have changed with off-track wagering and phone and online betting, he said.
“I don’t know if the business model has kept up with today’s technology,” he said. “We need to work hard to make races attractive to bettors, with competitive fields.”
Harness racing must also offer a good entertainment experience, he said.
That means good quality food, music, service and friendly people, he said.
“Someone should want to go to a racetrack for a nice experience,” Mullen said.
He added that the track should also help newcomers learn about handicapping and betting. At thoroughbred tracks, fans can get close to the horses, and he has been at Monmouth
Park when people are 10 to 20 deep at the back walking ring.
“People love it,” he said, pointing out that harness horses are usually in a back paddock away from fans.
FairWinds Farm does not stand any stallions, but Mullen said the farm owns shares in many top studs, including Art Major, who stands at New York’s Blue Chip Farms, and several stallions standing at Pennsylvania’s Hanover Shoe Farms.
These include Cantab Hall, Donato Hanover and Well Said.
The farm also has shares in two stallions standing at neighboring Perretti Farms — Muscles Yankee and RocknRoll Hanover.
FairWinds employs a dozen people during this time of year, with an additional four employees working when it is time to get yearlings ready for the sales, according to Mullen.
The foaling season runs from mid-February until July, with most of the births taking place in May, he said. Yearlings are sold at the annual sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
“We’re just a business like anybody else,” he said, noting that Fair Winds also supports other local businesses, such as feed stores, hay farmers, veterinarians and other small businesses.
For more information on Fair Winds Farm, visit www.fwfnj.com.