Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – There was
action all day and night at the Meadowlands on Saturday (April 7), and after
three major Kentucky Derby preps came and went, the main event for harness fans
– the Big M card – saw the bettors go deep race after race as wagering
surpassed the magic $3-million mark for the third time this year at the
industry’s handle leader.
“The Meadowlands would like to thank our loyal horsemen,
employees and fans for another $3-million handle,” said Jason Settlemoir, the
track’s chief operating officer and general manager. “Saturday wasn’t
just a great night for the Meadowlands. It was a great night for harness
racing. When you consider that the Santa Anita Derby didn’t go off until 9:30
p.m. on the East Coast, it’s a remarkable feat that we were able to generate
that much business on our product. Of course, our mile track and competitive
races over the weekend (which resulted in only six winning favorites from 22
races, a rate of 27% ) was a very big factor.”
Saturday’s total Big M handle was
$3,036,706 for the 12-race card, which works out to an average of $253,058 per
race. The other two $3-million nights came on March 3, when betting was a
2018-high $3.45 million, and on March 24, when $3.08 million was pushed through
the windows.
“People demand big multi-race pools with low takeouts to wager
into and those pools attract a lot of attention,” said Settlemoir. “We also
have the benefit of the largest carryover in harness racing on our Late 20-Cent
Jackpot Super High-Five, which is now $184,241.”
WHAT’S YOUR HANDLE? On Saturday, the action on three races with popular wagers was
giant. Races three (start of the Pick-5), eight (start of the Pick-4) and 12
(Late 20-Cent Jackpot Super High-Five) accounted for more than $900,000 in
total play. … The Pick-5 pool was $67,009, and after a sequence that saw no
winning favorites, those holding winning tickets walked away with $21,359 for a
50-cent bet. … The Pick-4 pool was $95,020, marking the sixth straight time the
track’s signature bet has seen $88,000 or more in action.
DERBY ROAD ENDING: The final major Kentucky Derby preps – the Lexington Stakes from
Keeneland (post time 5:34 p.m. EDT) and Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn Park (post
time 7:18 p.m. EDT) – will be offered on the Meadowlands’ extensive Saturday
simulcast menu.
WHHC SLATED FOR APRIL 28: Lee Stuckey and John Murphy grabbed the last two
qualifying spots for the $75,000 World Harness Handicapping Championship
Saturday (April 7) at the Meadowlands and are now looking forward to the
big-money final.
There are 64 players that
have already qualified for the WHHC Final through the Meadowlands,
DerbyWars.com and partner outlets Vernon Downs, Tioga Downs, TROT Fantasy and
Buffalo Raceway.
The World Harness
Handicapping Championship, presented by DerbyWars.com, is scheduled
for Saturday, April 28 at the Meadowlands and has a guaranteed prize pool
of $75,000.
The WHHC is a one-day
tournament and has a welcome reception the evening prior. Players that
did not earn a seat through a qualifying event can directly buy-in for
$1,000. The WHHC contest format requires players to bet 10 races: their
choice of seven Meadowlands races, plus three designated mandatory races from
Buffalo, Vernon Downs and the Meadowlands. Players keep all pari-mutuel
winnings. Prize payouts go to the top 10 finishers.
Players interested in
purchasing a buy-in into the WHHC presented by DerbyWars.com can visit http://playmeadowlands.com/contest_detail.aspx?id=8240.
