Handle, pool size
and exotic payoffs continue to offer horseplayers value
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (January 18, 2017) – Business at
the Meadowlands is off to a strong start through the first four cards of 2017
with per race handle averaging a robust $221,793 or less than 1 percent ahead
of last year’s pace at this time.
The first two Friday night cards of 2017 have produced total
handle in excess of $3 million while average nightly handle is $2.88 million.
As usual, horseplayers have found the winter cards at the
Meadowlands to be a challenge with betting favorites winning at just 28
percent. New faces in the driver’s room have helped create a new kind of
exciting racing. Youngsters such as Drew Monti and Joe Bongiorno have earned
the wagering public’s attention while veterans Brett Miller, Corey Callahan,
and Jim Marohn, Jr. continue to be a factor on a nightly basis.
“While some of the usual Meadowlands faces are not here this
winter, this new, fresh set of drivers has helped create a new kind of
excitement every night,” said Meadowlands COO/GM Jason Settlemoir. “The younger
guys are so hungry to prove themselves and I think it has been a lot of fun to
see them get better each weekend.”
The multi-race wagers have offered some of the largest
payoffs in all of harness racing. The Late Pick Four, covering Races 7 – 10,
has averaged a pool size of $82,749 with an average return of $8,162 including
a massive $30,318 on January 6.
The average pool in the Early Pick Four (Races 3 – 6) is
$62,945 with an average 50-cent payoff of just under $2,000 led by a
season-high $7,781 on January 7.
Meanwhile, the Pick Five (Races 1 – 5) is averaging a pool
size of $60,778 with an average payoff of $1,361 with a high of $3,300 on
January 7.
Both Pick Fours and the Pick Five are 50-cent base wagers
with a low 15 percent takeout rate.
