Jason Settlemoir was walking through the growing crowd of people milling around the new $88 million, state-of-the-art clubhouse at the Meadowlands Racetrack on Monday morning when a longtime patron approached.

"The soup costs more," the man told Settlemoir, the chief executive officer and general manager of the Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment center in East Rutherford.

The patron had a few other nettlesome issues, such as directional signage, but also some compliments on the day the new building was opened for a test run.

Settlemoir accepted the praise and addressed the concerns, promising to put up new signs before the grand opening Saturday night.

The cost of the soup, however, may have to wait.

As crews worked to finish a 270-seat sports bar and nightclub and crowds tried out the new off-track betting areas, Settlemoir was betting the sport he loves could be at the dawn of a revival.

"Horse racing missed my generation, the 30-somethings," he said. "It’s like horse racing stopped marketing itself for 20 years."

Harness racing used to be one of the biggest games in town. When the racetrack first opened in 1976, more than 18,000 fans would pass through the turnstiles each night. On weekends, crowds swelled to more than 25,000. Over the years, however, attendance dwindled to fewer than 2,000 — leaving the grandstands looking empty and cold.

Gov. Chris Christie almost closed the track in 2010 because of the huge state subsidies it and Monmouth Park in Oceanport were receiving. Morris Bailey, a businessman and casino owner, agreed to take over Monmouth Park. Jeff Gural, who owns two harness tracks in New York state and is chairman of the global real estate firm Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, assumed control of the Meadowlands Racetrack. He promised to not only revive the nearly moribund facility, but harness racing as well.

"The Meadowlands is the No. 1 harness track maybe in the world, but certainly in North America," Gural said. "It’s the only track where the (betting pool) is large enough to draw the best horses and drivers."

The average nightly wagering was $2.8 million last season, up 33 percent from the previous year. It’s also the only mile-long track for trotters in the country, he said.

Gural raised $68 million for the new clubhouse through various equity partnerships, including Hard Rock International. The project also received a $5 million loan from the state that Gural said he has already begun paying back.

Gural’s two tracks in upstate New York, Tioga and Vernon Downs, will soon have full-scale casinos. He would like to see at least slot machines in place at New Jersey’s racetracks, but has said he will abide by Christie’s plan to wait and see if Atlantic City can recover first.

If the Shore resort can’t, the governor has said he will consider casino-style gambling at the racetracks.

Settlemoir believes the sport can survive in the meantime.

"I’ve always been a believer you can make money at horse racing, and in particular, here," he said.

the old and the new

The new season starts Saturday when the grandstand officially opens. According to Settlemoir, the track wants to keep its old customers, and at the same time introduce a new generation to harness racing.

"We want to make sure that we’re marketing to the right demographics to get people here, and when they walk in, they’ll experience the ‘wow’ factor. I think we’re going to be able to do that with this facility."

The new room for simulcasting opened Monday in a vibrant space with walls of televisions broadcasting races from other locations.

"We are one of the largest places in North America for import wagering, where our customers are betting on other tracks around the world," Settlemoir said. "And our (simulcast) signal is one of the most sought-out signals in the horse-racing business."

The new building is 180,000 square feet — about one-third the size of the old grandstand that still stands on the opposite side of the track. It features a VIP lounge and an ultra VIP space for bettors who reach certain minimums.

The main bar, designed by Jordan Mozer, who has done work for Disney, Marriott, Barney’s New York and Steve Wynn, doubles as a nightclub in the evening. It is operated by Chris and Albie Manzo of Bravo’s "Real Housewives of New Jersey" in partnership with Funbars.com.

Upstairs is Pink, a 300-seat tiered restaurant that overlooks the track through massive glass windows.

For the grandstand crowd there are bars, lounges and a food court.

Settlemoir also knows they must educate new patrons on everything from knowing how to read a racing sheet to placing wagers.

Horseshoe University will offer daily classes, employees will walk around with "Ask me how to bet" buttons, and windows will be set aside so novices can ask questions without feeling pressure from veteran trackgoers standing behind them.

"Horse racing is our core business," Settlemoir said. "But obviously there’s a lot of entertainment here as well. We want to build the racing crowd, and when I get them, I want to make sure we take care of them so they’ll come back."

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