$15,000 given away
to the “30 and Under” crowd while exposing young fans to harness racing
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (June 28, 2017) – The second
annual Millennial Night at the Meadowlands, held this past Saturday, June 24,
by all accounts can be deemed a success.
A total of ten $1,000 scholarships were awarded as well as a
total of $5,000 in prize money in the form of a free handicapping contest was
distributed. The $15,000 was sponsored in full by Jeff and Paula Gural’s
Allerage Farms.
Hundreds of millennials – ages 30 and under – came out on a
perfect early summer night to enjoy the horse racing and party atmosphere at
the track, especially on the rooftop terrace.
A total of 49 people entered the free-to-play handicapping
contest. Contestants were tasked with picking one horse in 10 designated
races and amassing a mythical bankroll of winnings based on their selection’s
finish in each race. The rooftop terrace served as contest headquarters where
players were also treated to a free barbeque and a DJ.
At the end of the night, Dominique Carnevale of Watertown,
NJ was the winner of the $2,500 first place prize. Meggan Carver of Hazlet, NJ
took home the $1,500 second prize and Justin Pickens of Landing, NJ won $1,000.
The 10 scholarship winners were Kelsie Quintana from
Weehawken, NJ, Alexander Glasser from East Windsor, NJ, Jean-Luc Hourcade from
Little Ferry, NJ, Aaron Dudek from Garfield, NJ, Joao Borges from Elizabeth,
NJ, Eric Rivlin from Glen Rock, NJ, Steven Rivlin from Glen Rock, NJ, Lauren
Perone from New Canaan, CT, Shauna Voza from Lyndhurst, NJ, and Ryan Weist from
Rutherford, NJ.
“We always talk about how important it is for our industry
to reach out to the next generation of harness racing fans and participants to
introduce them to our great game,” said Meadowlands GM/COO Jason Settlemoir.
“This is an event that is getting bigger each year and encourages the
“millennial crowd” to get their friends together and experience the Meadowlands
Racetrack and maybe even go home with some money that can help them with their
education – a true win-win event.”
