Sunday Cal Expo Open lures Allmyx’sliventexas

By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

 

Allmyx’sliventexas, victorious in seven of his eight starts at this session, is once again the horse to beat in Sunday night’s $7,200 Open Pace at Cal Expo.

 

The headliner will go as the eighth on a 12-race card presented by Watch and Wager LLC and things get under way at 4:50 p.m.

 

Allmyx’sliventexas is an 8-year-old Hi Ho Silverheel’s homebred who races for Wayne and Rod Knittel, hails from the Bob Johnson shedrow and will be guided by Nick Roland from the outside post in the field of seven.

 

The Knittel charge has accounted for 46 of his 141 lifetime appearances, he’s looking to add to a $260,000 bankroll and set his 1:50 career mark at Hoosier Park three years ago.

 

Allmyx’sliventexas kicked off this meeting with five straight trips to the charmed enclosure, with the richest of those scores coming in the December 11 Dave Goldschmidt Pace. He suffered his only setback at the stand when he was hung the mile on January 31 and tired.

 

He has returned to prove best in his last two trips to the post, including the most recent when he withstood a strong challenge turning for home and then came home in smart fashion to secure the length and a quarter decision in a powerful 1:51 1/5 tour.

 

Taking him on, from the rail out: Bngs Express with Tony Kerwood; Contemporary Legend, Mooney Svendsen; Super Pac Hanover for Cordarius Stewart; Hoo Nien, Gerry Longo; Buddy’s Hope with Jake Cutting and Ponda’s Prospect for Luke Plano.

 

Second time around for Corbin in California

 

Robert Corbin is enjoying his second winter at Cal Expo while sending his share of performers to the winner’s circle.

 

“The weather is great and we had such a good time last year we decided to come back,” explained the 61-year-old Chicago native. While Robert got his first taste of the sport in his teens through his parents, it wasn’t until six years ago that he really got involved in the game.

 

“My mother passed away and we wanted to have something for my father to look forward to, so we ended up buying a broodmare and eventually purchased some race horses as well.”

 

At this time, Corbin owned a trucking company and was just a casual player, but what started out as something to help occupy Robert Sr’s time ended up being a real passion for his son, who continued to build the stable following his father’s passing two and a half years ago.

 

“I worked with a trainer for about a year and then took out my license in 2017,” Corbin explained.

 

By the way, that first broodmare he purchased with his dad was an Artsplace mare named Symphony Bay, and her first foal was Marys Pretty Girl, who has been a regular in the Filly and Mare Open Pace here.

 

When this session ended in April, the Corbin shedrow will return to points East to compete at Hawthorne and Hoosier Park.

 

Pair of Sire Stakes, Filly-Mare Open at Cal Expo

By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

 

A pair of $14,000 California Sire Stakes for the 4-year-olds and a $6,700 Filly and Mare Open Pace are the featured attractions on Saturday night’s Cal Expo program.

 

There will be 13 races presented under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post set for 4:50 p.m., with one of the Sire Stakes events going as a non-betting contest prior to the regular program.

 

The distaff Sire Stakes goes as the fourth race and Prom Queen is coming off a victory in a dead-heat last weekend and should be well backed for owners Desomer Stables, trainer Quentin Schneider and driver Nick Roland. Taking her on are Debit or Credit, Winhavetime, Akanay and Le Montrachet.

 

Looking at the co-featured Filly and Mare Open Pace, Alwaysalittlemore and Velocity McSweets get a rematch after putting on quite a show in last week’s clash at the head of the division.

 

Alwaysalittlemore is a 7-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin out of the Cole Muffler mare Whatiftheresmore who is owned by Maria Alvarez and Terrence Smith and is reined and trained by Luke Plano.

 

Sent off at 9-2 in last week’s Distaff Open while leaving from the rail slot, Alwaysalittlemore was able to work out a pocket trip, moved to the lead at midstretch and then had enough to hold safe over the fast-closing favorite Velocity McSweets.

 

The latter accounted for the Joe Alto Pace in December and has a pair of Open scores to her credit this season. Jennifer Sabot owns and trains the 6-year-old McArdle mare and Cordarius Stewart has the return assignment.

 

Completing the field are Delightfully Wild with Doug Chappell; Bertha Vanation, Nick Roland; Paloma Ruiz for Jacob Cutting and Marys Pretty Girl, who leaves from the rail with Tony Kerwood.

 

Plano guides talented distaffers into circle

 

Last Saturday night was a good one for Luke Plano as he piloted four performers into the winner’s circle, including Doubletherocks in the first Sire Stakes of the year for the sophomores and Alwaysalittlemore in the Filly and Mare Open Pace.

 

Doubletherocks is a homebred daughter of Lettherockbegin who carries the banner of Nikki Hudson and is reined and trained by husband Luke. She sat the pocket behind heavily-favored Cookiesncream and streaked home for the easy decision.

 

“I actually claimed the mare and it turned out she had some issues, but I thought she would make a good broodmare and we bred her to a Minnesota sire,” Luke related.

 

“We got her ready in Indiana and Minnesota, and she had the one start at Running Aces, but she had a heath issue and we backed off and pointed for these races. I’ve been very happy with her two wins here.”

 

Alwaysalittlemore is a Maria Alvarez and Terrence Smith colorbearer who was picking up her first Open score at this session while ending up on the right end of a head photo with even-money favorite Velocity McSweets.

 

“This is a real nice mare with a great mind,” her mentor noted. “She wasn’t having any luck at the Meadowlands at the end of last year, so they decided to bring her back here.

 

“We gave her some time, so she was a little bit behind these other mares, but she’s come around really well and it didn’t hurt to get a nice trip the other night.”

 

It will be interesting to watch both of these talented distaffers going forward, with the next round of stakes action for the 3-year-olds coming up next week.

  

EARLY TO POST BETS THE MOST AT BIG M

Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Since the start of 2021, The Meadowlands has been experimenting with an earlier-than-usual post time of 6 p.m. and the undertaking has proven extremely successful over the first eight weeks of the year.

“The idea was, during the COVID-19 era, people were not staying up late,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “And shifting players’ attention from the late-night races [that take place from 11 p.m.-midnight] and moving those eyes to the hour from 6-7 p.m. was worth trying. The early post time created a new dynamic, starting with our pre-game show, which gets underway at 5:27 p.m.”  

On a typical weekend, after the Gulfstream Park races end, the Late Pick-4 at Santa Anita and The Meadowlands’ 20-cent Pick-5 kick off the nighttime action for both Harness and Thoroughbred players around the world.

“As a result,” said Settlemoir, “the top Thoroughbred hubs wagered 45 percent more on The Meadowlands last Saturday (Feb. 20) than they did as compared to the comparable Saturday in 2020.”

Last week, The Big M’s streak of betting at least $3.4 million on Saturdays stayed intact, as action has exceeded that number on all eight occasions in 2021. Last Saturday’s all-source total of $3,871,820 – an increase of $1.1 million over the comparable card from last year – was the fifth-highest night of business this year. The per race average was $258,121. The lofty $3.8-million figure was reached three times during all of 2020.

The Big M’s signature wager, the 50-cent Pick-4, has seen the most prolific pools of the season, with an average of $94,857 in total action each the time wager takes place, which is twice a night, beginning nightly in the sixth and 10^th races, respectively.

The 20-cent Pick-5 – which averages $88,540 in total play – always gets the night off to a good start in the first race. The last two Saturdays were right on the number as $88,541 (Feb. 20) and $86,011 (Feb. 13) were wagered, respectively, serving as the catalyst for superb race one overall total pools of $389,159 and $367,134, respectively.

“The Meadowlands has made an increased effort to keep the horseplayer in action longer with low-takeout and low-minimum bets,” said Settlemoir. “The player response has been sensational, resulting in the largest pools we have seen in over a decade. The larger players can now freely bet larger amounts, knowing the pools are big enough to play into, fueled by average field size, which is at 9.56.

“The early post has exposed more Thoroughbred players to The Meadowlands signal. This new dynamic has created an average handle of $3,455,779 per night, far surpassing every night time signal of any breed in North America.”

SIMULCAST HEAVEN: For those who love betting the runners as well as the pacers and trotters, the featured simulcast action offered at The Big M on Saturday will be from Florida’s Gulfstream Park, which has a spectacular card in store.

The 14-race program will feature nine events with purses of $100,000 or more, with the feature being the Grade 2, $300,000 Fountain of Youth at a mile and a sixteenth for 3-year-olds who are Kentucky Derby hopefuls. Post time for the first race at Gulfstream is 11:30 a.m. The Fountain of Youth is race 14 and has a post time of 6:10 p.m.

GET SOCIAL: You can always check in with the team at The Meadowlands on Twitter.

For early changes, racing information and staff selections, go to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

On race nights, stay in touch with the Big M’s Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Shades Demsky (@shadesonracing) and Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1).

FREE PPs FOR ALL: Thanks to an agreement between The Meadowlands and TrackMaster, past performances for every race of every Big M program are now available at no cost.

To access the free PPs, go to playmeadowlands.com.

$100,000 GUARANTEED: Every night, The Meadowlands guarantees big green on both editions of its signature wager, as each 50-cent Pick-4 sports a $50,000 guaranteed pool.

CHECK OUT THE PICKS: For those who need to get a leg up on the action, go to playmeadowlands.com to see track oddsmaker and analyst Brower’s selections and commentary. Click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews”.

Brower’s input is generally available 48 hours before every card.

Additionally, track announcer Warkentin’s blog is available on the site and offers his picks and analysis.

THE SCHEDULE: Live racing at The Meadowlands takes place every Friday and Saturday evening. Post time is 6 p.m.

The track’s live “Racing from the Meadowlands” pre-game show begins at 5:27 p.m.

CAN’T MAKE IT TO THE TRACK? There are several options for those who would rather catch the action from The Big M at home.

Racing fans can watch all the races live on the Roberts Television Network (rtn.tv). In addition, they can watch and wager by going to the Television Games Network (tvg.com) or their favorite Advance-deposit Wagering site (ADW).

GET YOUR HOOPS ACTION: Mayhem is upon us.

In 17 days, the 68 teams that will participate in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will be chosen on “Selection Sunday”, and players can watch and wager on all the action in The Big M’s FanDuel Sportsbook.

But there is still plenty of regular season and conference tournament action to bet on until then, as well as the NBA, NHL, Premier and Champions League soccer and a host of other sports.

The sportsbook is open Sunday-Friday from 10 a.m.-midnight and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. The cash counter is open from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

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Sophomores do battle in Cal Expo Sire Stakes

By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

 

The first California Sire Stakes of the season for the 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers is set for Sunday evening, with Lodi Phillip and Arnie’s Army figuring to get plenty of attention in the $7,500 contest.

 

Watch and Wager LLC will present a 12-race card and things get underway at 4:50 p.m. The Sire Stakes is scheduled as the fourth contest on the evening.

 

Lodi Phillip is a homebred son of Another Mile who races for Mary Harris and Pierre Girard, is conditioned by Girard and will have the services of Mooney Svendsen this weekend.

 

The dark-hued performer rattled off back-to-back scores on January 30 and February, recording a lifetime-best 1:56 clocking in the latter score. He will do his work from the middle of the five-horse cast.

 

Arnie’s Army races for his breeders Wayne and Rod Knittel with the Bob Johnson the conditioner and Luke Plano at the helm. The son of Hi Ho Silverheel’s should be a nice fit with this group.

 

Taking on this pair are the Quentin Schneider-trained pair of Believe in Dragons with Cordarius Stewart and Chase the Gold with Nick Roland, while the Ariel Alvarez-trained Im A Magic Man completes the line-up with Jacob Cutting in the sulky.

 

A reminder there are three wagers offered each night that come with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate – the 20-cent early and late Pick 5 and the 20-cent Pick 4. The latter features a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool.

 

Ashlee Sluggett enjoying the ride

 

 

Relentless Dancer has made a trio of appearances in the charmed enclosure for owner/trainer Ashlee Sluggett at this meet, showing an affinity for the oval.

 

“Having your horse go out there and do well makes all the hard work worth it,” Sluggett related recently.

 

The 31-year-old native of Alberta, Canada, has been around horses most of her life, but it wasn’t until she was 19 that she got involved with the trotters and pacers. “I heard they were building a new racetrack near where I lived and I went to check it out,” she explained.

 

“It turned out to be Alberta Downs. That’s when I met Jamie Grey and went to work with him, learning about harness racing from the ground up.”

 

Ashlee then spent nine years with Ryan Grundy, including a couple of stints here at Cal Expo. She also worked with Kim and Quentin Schneider last season before venturing to New York to be part of the Blake MacIntosh barn.

 

“That’s when I decided it was time to take out my license and I came back to California with six horses,” she related. “The plan has always been to go back to New York after this meet ends and rejoin Blake’s barn.”

 

A reminder there are three wagers offered here each night that come with a reduced 16 percent takeout rate – the 20-cent early and late Pick 5 and the 20-cent Pick 4, with the latter sporting a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool.

 

 

  

PLAY MEADOWLANDS FINALS PLEASE ALL PLAYERS

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – It was one for the chalk players and one for those who like bombs in the two $17,500 Play Meadowlands Series Finals at The Meadowlands Friday night.

In the division for pacing fillies and mares, Its Mesmerise N completed a two-race sweep of the event for trainer Darran Cassar and driver Scott Zeron.

Sent to the gate as the 1-5 public choice for a second straight start despite facing a tougher field this time around, Zeron had the 7-year-old daughter of American Ideal-Cullens Charm in the three-hole early before brushing to the top at the half, which was clocked in a quick :54.2.

Windsong Parisian, the 10-1 fourth choice in the 10-horse field, applied pressure to the leader while first-over past the half and three-quarters (1:22.1) and appeared to be done off the turn as they straightened away in the stretch, but she kept on digging all the way to the wire through a slow final quarter of :30.2 to come up a neck short of pulling off an upset. Misty Memory N was third.

“I wish I could have bided my time a little more,” said Zeron of moving Its Mesmerise N to the lead. “She raced unbelievably given the pressure and the fractions. When I had to move as early as I did at the half, it was a bit of a concern and the immediate pressure didn’t help. [Windsong Parisian] raced well. Both fillies cruised around the last turn and both hung in there down the lane. I think my horse is classier than these horses. I had been racing her from off the pace because she likes a target but had been a victim of being too far back. She showed tonight she can do it any which way.”

Its Mesmerise N paid $2.60 to win after completing the mile in 1:52.3 for her 18^th lifetime win from 69 starts. She now has earnings of $117,364.

Longshot lovers got their way in the Play Meadowlands for trotters as driver Steve Smith saved ground with Take A Wish from start to finish before bursting through between rivals late to score at 30-1 in 1:55.2.

After racing Take A Wish at the rail in eighth in the 10-horse field in the early going, as the flow developed on the rim, Smith advanced the Dawn Anderson trainee to the four-hole along the inside at the half. Remaining glued to the cones around the far turn, Smith waited until there was room and came with a rush in deep stretch to score the upset by a head and return $62.40. Life Well Lived closed well on the far outside to get second while third-place finisher Gruden, the 2-1 favorite, failed in a second straight attempt to go wire-to-wire.

Take A Wish, a 6-year-old mare by Wishing Stone-Take A Taste, won for the 12^th time from 85 lifetime outings and upped her earnings to $210,836.

A LITTLE MORE: Handle topped the $3-million mark again as a total of $3,080,321 was put in play on a 13-race card conducted over a sloppy track that saw snowy conditions for the first third of the program. Wagering has now surpassed $3 million on three straight Fridays, and 10 times overall for the 14 cards conducted thus far in 2021. … Driver of the Week Dexter Dunn kept on rolling, racking up three winners to up his Big M leading-driver victory tally to 42. He’s scored 15 times over the last four programs. … No one hit the 20-cent Pick-6, setting up Saturday’s wager with a carryover of $7,222. …. First-race post time on Saturday is 6 p.m. The Pick-6 begins in race eight. Free past performances for every race of every Meadowlands card are available by going to playmeadowlands.com

BIG M SATURDAY PICK-6 HAS $7,000 CARRYOVER

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – With a 30-1 bomb taking one leg and 6-1 shots taking three others, the 20-cent Pick-6 failed to yield a winning ticket Friday night at The Meadowlands, which will make things interesting for the next racing program.

Those with five winners collected $1,203.82.

On Saturday’s card, a carryover of $7,222 will start the pool for the wager that begins in the eighth race. This marks the first time in 2021 that a Pick-6 will have a carryover, which doesn’t necessarily need one for a player to hit big. Last Saturday (Feb. 13), the Pick-6 returned $12,891.

Free past performances for the 20-cent Pick-6 – as well as every race of every Meadowlands card – are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.

Pair of Opens, Sire Stakes on tap at Cal Expo

By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

 

An Open Trot headed by Silverhill Volo; a Distaff Open Pace featuring Velocity McSweets and Delightfully Wild and a California Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old pacing fillies are the main attractions on Saturday night’s Cal Expo program.

 

There will be 13 races presented under the Watch and Wager LLC banner with first post set for 4:50 p.m.

 

Silverhill Volo is a 10-year-old son of Muscle Hill who is owned, trained and driven by Chip Lackey. He comes into this assignment with 29 wins from his 141 starts, $174,000 in his bank account and a 1:55 1/5 lifetime standard.

 

The veteran sidewheeler rattled off five straight victories to begin this meet, including the December 12 Joe Lighthill, then suffered his first defeat at this stand when he was parked the mile and had to settle for second behind Pridecrest on January 24.

 

Silverhill Volo got his in his last start, however, as Lackey motored him right to the front from the outside slot in the field of six and guided him to a three-quarter length victory over his arch-rival.

 

Pridecrest goes about his business for Chris Schick, with Kathie Plested the conditioner and Mooney Svendsen is back at the controls. He has over $342,000 in earnings and his 1:53 2/5 mark is the course standard here at Cal Expo. He overcame a layoff to upset Silverhill Volo two back, then left into the eventual pocket last time around and could not quite get to the Lackey protégé.

 

Looking at the Filly and Mare Open Pace, Delightfully Wild is an 8-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight out of the Western Ideal mare Will Ride Hanover who carries the banner of Richard Morita and David Yamada, takes her lessons from Jessie Pacheco and will have Doug Chappell in the sulky.

 

With Chappell taking over the driving two weeks ago, Delightfully Wild lived up to her name off the gate to rocket to the front, opened up a long lead at the half and then held safe by a length and three-quarters for the $36 upset in a sizzling 1:52 2/5 tour

 

Major Al-mar takes command

 

No doubt enjoying the fact that the streaking Silverhill Volo and course record-holder Pridescrest were absent from the line-up, Major Al-mar went out last week and posted a coast-to-coast victory with Cordarius Stewart at the helm.

 

The 5-year-old trotting son of Money Talks goes about his business for Amy Fichtner and Vikki Pfeilsticker, is conditioned by Rick Bertrand and shaved two ticks off his lifetime standard with the 1:56 final clocking.

 

While he has found the Open ranks a bit challenging, he was right at home last Sunday evening and Stewart motored right to the front, carved out the fractions without pressure and Major Al-mar was able to hold off the pocket-sitting Teachmehowtotry and favored Flameon for the one-length score.

 

Five races later, it was once again the Bertrand barn taking bows as Catchmeinadream posted a $41 surprise with Luke Plano in the sulky. The 4-year-old mare, who is also owned by Bertrand, looked more like a 1-9 shot than a 19-1 chance as she romped home by six and a quarter lengths in a sparkling 1:54 4/5 mile.

 

The odds were inflated due to the fact that River Lassena was 50 cents on the dollar in that affair on the strength of having won four of her last five outings coming into this affair.

 

As things turned out, the long-fused distaffer was just too far back while doing her work from the outside post in the field of nine and had to settle for third. Considering the mile Catchmeinadream turned in, she wasn’t going to lose this race no matter how well placed the favorite was in the early stages.

 

Catchmeinadream’s tally sparked a $2,153 payoff in the 20-cent Pick 5, once again pointing out how the reduced 16 percent takeout rate consistently results in sweet overlays. In addition to the 20-cent early and late Pick 5, the 16 percent takeout rate also applies to the 20-cent Pick 4, which comes with a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool.

 

  

BIG M’S LOW TAKEOUT BETS DRIVING BIG BUSINESS

BIG M’S LOW TAKEOUT BETS DRIVING BIG BUSINESS

Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Last weekend (Feb. 12-13) was the third straight that saw total handle exceed the $7-million plateau at The Meadowlands – a lofty level reached three times during all of 2020 – and much of the recent wild wagering at the mile oval is due to the popularity of the track’s low 15 percent takeout bets.

The Big M has seen great results since changing the Hi-5/Pentafecta format. Formerly, it was a 20-cent base with a ‘jackpot’, meaning it paid out only when there was one winning ticket. The response has been vigorous since management changed it to a 10-cent base that pays out on all winning tickets.

Through Feb. 12, the updated Hi-5 was averaging $31,794 per pool, compared to $8,807 over the same period a year ago. Much like the superfecta more than a decade ago, lowering the minimum to 10 cents has given the bet a new lease on life, as the average payoff during 2021 is $1,535. On Feb. 6, a rare Hi-5 carryover resulted in a total pool of $79,254, which led to a payout of $10,094.

Another wager that has been performing at a high level is the 20-cent Pick-5 – the track’s most popular puzzle in terms of average pool – which is currently seeing $105,977 a night, almost double what the action was a year ago ($56,331). Thus far in 2021, the P5 average payout has been $2,989. The bet serves as a catalyst for the first race, which saw $367,134 of wagering Saturday, and has been averaging over $300,000 a night thus far this year.

The Big M’s signature wager – the 50-cent Pick-4 – gives bettors two chances to make a score every live racing night. The Early P4 has averaged $94,294 per pool and the Late P4 has seen $90,586 a throw. Players of all kinds got to cash in last Saturday. The Early Pick returned $17,959.80 after 20-1 shots served as winning bookends, while the Late Pick came back $78.55 after two favorites, one 5-2 and one 3-1 scored during that extremely formful sequence.

The Pick-5 is not the only wager that has come up roses with a new twist. The Pick-6 is not a jackpot bet, so the low 20-cent minimum has made the P6 playable even when there is no carryover. During 2021, the average pool has been $14,581, leading to a payoff of $3,831.

The last of The Big M’s ‘Super Six’ wagers that offer the low 15 per cent takeout is the 20-cent Survivor Pick-7, which has a mandatory payout every night. It is another bet that generates some big payouts, as the average return of $3,846 proves.

The lineup of The Meadowlands' 15 percent takeout wagers:

·         Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5

·         Race 3: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7

·         Race 6: 50-cent Early Pick-4

·         Race 8: 20-cent Pick-6

·         Race 10: 50-cent Late Pick-4

·         Race 15 (or final race): 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta

“Wagering last week was over $7 million,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Which was up $2.36 million from the same two nights last year. What we are seeing is that low take outs and low minimums help to keep The Meadowlands horseplayer in action longer.

“If the player can stay in action, they are capable of making a score on any number of our wagers that are generating big payoffs. In any successful gambling business, customer satisfaction is the name of the game. Judging by our 2021 results, where we have seen handle exceed $3 million on five consecutive programs, we can reasonably assume that the customer thinks The Meadowlands is providing an excellent and improved product.”

THE SCHEDULE: Live racing at The Meadowlands takes place every Friday and Saturday evening. Post time is 6 p.m.

The track’s live “Racing from the Meadowlands” pre-game show begins at 5:27 p.m.

FREE PPs FOR ALL: Thanks to an agreement between The Meadowlands and TrackMaster, past performances for every race of every Big M program are now available at no cost.

To access the free PPs, go to playmeadowlands.com.

GET SOCIAL: You can always check in with the team at The Meadowlands on Twitter.

For early changes, racing information and staff selections, go to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

On race nights, stay in touch with the Big M’s Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Shades Demsky (@shadesonracing) and Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1).

$100,000 GUARANTEED: Every night, The Meadowlands guarantees big green on both editions of its signature wager, as each 50-cent Pick-4 sports a $50,000 guaranteed pool.

CHECK OUT THE PICKS: For those who need to get a leg up on the action, go to playmeadowlands.com to see track oddsmaker and analyst Brower’s selections and commentary. Click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews”.

Brower’s input is generally available 48 hours before every card.

Additionally, track announcer Warkentin’s blog is available on the site and offers his picks and analysis.

GET YOUR SPORTS ACTION: Pro and college sports betting is available at The Meadowlands’ FanDuel Sportsbook every day.

Bets can be placed on the NBA, NHL, college basketball and many other sports any time the wagering windows are open.

The sportsbook is open Sunday-Friday from 10 a.m.-midnight and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. The cash counter is open from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Super Bowl Champ Devin White Will Race Horses in Illinois

Plans to buy more Illinois horses next year

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – Super Bowl champion linebacker Devin White has an unlikely connection to Illinois since he recently purchased three standardbred horses with plans to race them in the Prairie State. The Buccaneers star linebacker, White, made headlines last week when he took a different standardbred horse for a victory lap around Raymond James Stadium while holding the Lombardi Trophy. White co-owns his three Illinois-bred horses with his friend Adam Hawthorne.

 
“Devin is really excited to get into the business,” said Hawthorne. “This is his first time getting involved in horse racing and we plan to buy more Illinois-bred horses next year. Illinois is my favorite state to race in, bar none.”

The names of the horses White and Hawthorne purchased are First and Goal, Timber Creek Molly, and Creations Dream MV. The owners plan to keep them stabled in Louisiana during the winter where trainer Herman Wheeler will work with them. This spring, Wheeler will move the horses to compete in Illinois.

 
“Illinois harness racing is on the verge of an incredible comeback,” said Illinois Harness Horseman’s Association President Clark Fairley. “Buying an Illinois-bred horse is a great investment right now. We can now say that anyone who gets into the business has an opportunity to be successful.”

If all goes well, White’s horses will compete on the Illinois’ county fair circuit in early summer as they prepare for bigger purses at Hawthorne Racecourse near Chicago later in the year. There are a variety of incentives for owners to buy and race Illinois-bred horses in the Land of Lincoln. Because of the recently passed “racino” bill, Illinois-bred horses will be racing for larger purses and better racing opportunities in the years to come.

Ed Teefey runs the Illini Classic Sales at the Springfield State Fairgrounds where White and Hawthorne purchased their horses. Teefey is optimistic about the future of harness racing.

 
“You have to be optimistic in this business,” said Teefey. “Illinois-bred horses are a great value right now. Illinois isn’t flooded with horses the way some other states are and there are lots of good racing opportunities. Combined with the new revenue from casino gaming, it’s a good time to buy a racehorse here.”

Teefey said that the number of foals born in 2020 was 354, up from 144 born in 2018. And while that’s a far cry from the peak of 2,535 horses born in 1984, it’s solid growth that can be built on.

Illinois was once the premier harness racing state in the nation hosting the prestigious Hambletonian at the DuQuoin racetrack. Years of disinvestment by the state led to the near collapse of an industry that at its peak employed nearly 40,000 people. That all changed when racetracks in Illinois were allowed to compete with land-based casinos by adding table games and slot machines to racetracks in 2019. Once those racinos are up and running, the money that they generate will be invested into purse winnings.

 
Horse breeding is labor intensive and it has taken decades to establish a program in Illinois. Illinois horse breeding farms create many agricultural jobs, and the economic ripples are felt throughout the state from grain and hay farmers, to blacksmiths, grooms, and equipment dealers.

 
“We’re looking forward to growing the sport again in Illinois,” said Fairley. “A new racetrack is expected to be built within the next few years which will allow us to race more days and purses should continue to increase as well. I’m hopeful.”

BETTING SURPASSES $4 MILLION AGAIN AT BIG M

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Wagering at The Meadowlands continued to bustle Saturday night, as betting blasted past the $4-million barrier for a third time in 2021, the same number of times that was accomplished during all of 2020.

Action was huge from the get-go on the 15-race card as a total of $367,134 was pushed through the windows on the opener, $86,011 of which was bet on the 20-cent Pick-5. Action was at least $330,000 on races six, seven and nine before the 10^th race took in the most play of the night, with $370,062.

The sixth race 50-cent Pick-4 saw $105,648 pushed through the windows and resulted in the wager’s biggest payout of the meeting. Twenty-to-one long shots won the opening and payoff legs of the bet, resulting in a payoff of $17,959.

In sharp contrast, the 10^th race Pick-4, which saw a total pool of $94,171, saw two even-money shots, a 5-2 and a 3-1 combine for a payout of $78.55.

The all-source total wagered on the card was $4,082,528, an average per race of $272,168. Betting has exceeded $7 million for the last three weekends at The Big M. That plateau was reached three times during all of 2020.

THAT’S A HALF-DOZEN COUSIN: Driver Dexter Dunn continued his brilliance in the bike at the current Big M meeting by winning six times on the program.

The 31-year-old native of New Zealand, the two-time defending United States Harness Writers Association Driver of the Year, won a total of eight races over the weekend, upping his Big M driver-colony leading win total to 39.

‘JOE’ BEATEN, ‘JL’ CRUISES: A pair of fan favorites sat atop the marquee in the co-featured $22,500 winners-over $11,500 events, one on the pace and the other on the trot.

Tulhurstsantanna A worked out an ideal trip in pulling off a 21-1 upset in the pace. The driver of the 8-year-old gelded son of Santanna Blue Chip-Ballroom Belle had designs on leaving the gate, but Andy McCarthy thought better of it.

“I put his nose on the gate and thought about stepping out,” said McCarthy. “But I aborted that mission when I saw everybody else had the same idea and managed to work out a sweet second-over trip.”

Western Joe, the 4-5 favorite who was seeking his second straight score in the weekly feature, brushed to the lead while parked past the half in :54.2, but was pressured by long shot Points North shortly thereafter, which set it up for a closer.

McCarthy tipped Tulhurstsantanna A off the cover provided by Points North as they straightened up in the stretch but still had one major player to worry about.

“I knew [3-1 second choice] Springsteen was on my back,” said McCarthy. “He’s very fast, that horse, but my horse, he keeps horses at bay. He knows what to do.”

In winning a third straight at The Big M, Tulhurstsantanna A returned $44.20 to his backers after completing the mile in a lifetime-best equaling 1:49.4 on a night with a feel-like temperature of 19 degrees. Springsteen finished a half-length back in second, with Italian Delight N third and Western Joe fourth in the eight-horse field.

Trained by Andrew Harris and owned by Douglas Overhiser, Tulhurstsantanna A raised his lifetime stats to 24 wins from 144 starts, good for earnings of $191,454.

In the marquee trot, JL Cruze chalked up his third win in his last four Meadowlands outings, scoring by a half-length over Scirocco Rob in 1:52.4. Rich And Miserable was third.

“He’s a classy old horse,” said winning driver Dunn of the 10-year-old gelding by Crazed-Topcat Hall. “And it’s a pleasure to sit behind him every week.”

JL Cruze left alertly from post eight in the eight-horse field and opted to race in the five-hole early on. “I got him out of there and we took a seat,” said Dunn. “It’s not usually the way he races, but I was pretty confident we would run them down.”

The even-money favorite followed the live tow of 7-1 third choice Scirocco Rob down the backstretch, and once leader Winnerup was done, it was down to those two. Under confident handling from Dunn, JL Cruze reported home an easy winner after tipping off cover, scoring for the 43^rd time from 127 career starts for trainer Eric Ell and owners W. Kenneth Wood, J. Dittmar Jr. and S.J. Iaquinta. His lifetime bank account now stands at a gaudy $1,572,392.

A LITTLE MORE: Scott Zeron and Corey Callahan both recorded driving doubles while the red-hot Jeff Cullipher trained a pair of winners. … Shrewd 20-cent Pick-6 players made a big score, as with only one long shot (22-1) winning during the sequence, those with winning tickets walked away with $12,891. Of the other five winning horses, two were favored, while the other three went off at 5-1, 5-2 and 3-1. … Racing resumes Friday at 6 p.m.

Under Paid Survives To Capture Buffalo Raceway Win

 

by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway

 

HAMBURG, N.Y. --- It was quite an adventurous mile for Under Paid but after recovering from a wild but brief break, an inquiry and what turned out to be a win photo, he found himself in the winner's circle in Buffalo Raceway's $8,000 Class A-AA Handicapped Pace on Saturday night (Feb. 13)

 

Allstar Energy (Ron Beback Jr.) was the winner of the feature but was disqualified and placed seventh after interfering with Under Paid ($3.90) coming off the opening turn. Driver Ray Fisher Jr. was able to collect Under Paid after the gallop to stay in the race. They were able to edge out Dojea Solo (David McNeight III) by a neck for the eventual victory while Ohio Prince (Drew Monti) was placed third.

 

Ohio Prince was able to set the splits of :28.2, :58.0 and 1:28.0 while Allstar Energy tracked along in second. Turning for home, Ohio Prince got leg weary as the charge was coming from all angles. Allstar Energy hit the line first but the win was denied and Under Paid was moved up to victory lane with a 1:58.0 clocking over the good track.

 

Trained by Ryan Swift, Under Paid (Rocknroll Dance-Upfront Cruzin) is a 5-year-old horse owned by Jennifer Rogowski. It was the seasonal debut for Under Paid, a lifetime winner of $111,532.

 

Kevin Cummings, Kyle Cummings, Monti and Shawn McDonough all doubled on the night while Tammy Cummings and McDonough each had two training wins.

 

Racing will resume on Wednesday with a 10-race program scheduled with the new post time of 6 p.m. There will be a guaranteed pool of $4,000 in the Pick 5 starting in the second race.

 

For more information including the latest news, race replays, results and entries, go to www.buffaloraceway.com or follow along on Twitter or Facebook.

 

Allmyx’sliventexas atop Cal Expo marquee

By Mark Ratzky, publicity – Cal Expo Harness

 

Allmyx’sliventexas, a winner of six of his seven starts at this meet, including a start-to-finish tally last week, looks to add another photo to the scrapbook in Saturday night’s featured $6,700 Open Pace.

 

The main event will go as the fourth on a 13-race card presented by Watch and Wager LLC with first post set for 4:50 p.m.

 

Allmyx’sliventexas is an 8-year-old Hi Ho Silverheel’s homebred who competes for Wayne and Rod Knittel, hails from the Bob Johnson shedrow and will be handled once again by Nick Roland while doing his work from the outside slot in the field of six.

 

The hard-hitting performer has had his picture taken following 45 of his 140 lifetime appearances, he’s looking to add to a $256,000 bank account and set his 1:50 career mark at Hoosier Park three years ago.

 

Allmyx’sliventexas kicked off this meeting with five straight trips to the charmed enclosure, with the richest of those scores coming in the December 11 Dave Goldschmidt Pace. He suffered his first setback at the stand when he he was hung the mile on January 31 and tired.

 

The Knittel colorbeare returned to his winning ways last week, blasting off the gate for  Roland and going on to a coast-to-decision, tossing in a :27 flat final quarter to seal the deal as the odds-on choice in a 1:53 flat tour.

 

Taking him on this weekend, from the rail out: Proof with Cordarius Stewart; Intrigued Again, Tony Kerwood; Royale Big Guy, who will have the services of Mooney Svendsen; Hoo Nein A, Gerry Longo; and Buddy’s Hope, to be handled by Jacob Cutting. 

 

Reduced takeout rate produces sweet payoff

 

 

On the surface, last Saturday night’s 20-cent Pick 4 payoff of $230 doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary, but a closer look at the numbers reveals the true value of a reduced takeout wager.

 

The 20-cent Pick 4 is one of three bets offered here each night with a reduced 16 percent takeout, the others being the early and late 20-cent Pick 5.

 

Last Saturday’s Late Pick 4 consisted of two winning favorites, including the 3-5 Allmyx’sliventexas in the Open Pace, a second choice and a 6-1 shot. The $2 win parlay on these four would result in a return of $330, which means the $230 return for the 20-cent Pick 4 ticket was seven times what the parlay would have yielded.

 

By the way, in addition to the lower rate, the 20-cent Pick 4 comes with a $25,000-guaranteed gross pool, making it even sweeter.

 

Getting back to Allmyx’sliventexas, both he and Silverhill Volo returned to the head of their respective pacing and trotting divisions with decisive victories.

 

Both of these performers had started the meet with five straight victories, including a win by Allmyx’sliventeas in the Dave Goldschmidt and Silverhill Volo in the Joe Lighthill, but had suffered defeats in their previous outings while encountering tough trips.

 

There were no such issues last weekend, however, as Nick Roland took Allmyx’sliventas coast-to-coast and Chip Lackey did the same thing with Silverhill Volo as they re-established their top rankings.

 

  

Buffalo First Post Change

Starting Saturday February 13 first post at Buffalo Raceway will change to 6:00 pm.  Horsemen can find the 6:00 pm Paddock/Lasix schedule on www.buffaloraceway.com

BIG M BETTORS LOVE THE HIGH SOCIETY LIFE

Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – In the 1998 movie “Rounders”, which provides a look into the world of high-stakes poker, main character Mike McDermott (played by Matt Damon) heads for Las Vegas in the final scene after making a big score. He settles some big debts but still has $30,000 in his pocket, or, as he puts it, “three stacks of high society”, poker lexicon for individual $10,000 stacks of chips at a poker table.

Last weekend at The Meadowlands, players walked away with two stacks of high society, not to mention a handful of other bets that paid off quite handsomely during the 28 races that were conducted Feb. 5-6.

Friday’s five-figure payout went to one sharp player wagering into the Belmont Park hub. That bettor was the only one with a winning ticket in the 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 and walked away with $10,886.

But that was merely High Society Stack No. 1.

After three longshots finished among the top five in the 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta on Friday night, a carryover of $21,961 led to track management guaranteeing the pool at $60,000 for Saturday’s card, which created another opportunity for a big payoff.

When the bell rung at the start of the 15^th race, a total of $79,254 was in the pool, and when the field hit the wire, 16-1 shot Western Redhot topped a Hi-5 that returned a handsome $10,094 despite the first, third and fifth choices in the wagering finishing in the top five. There were seven winning tickets sold.

Saturday’s Pick-7 may not have reached the level of high society, but it certainly was not low. Despite four favorites scoring during the sequence, those with winning tickets cashed in for $5,983, which represented one of the one dozen four-figure payouts during the weekend.

“The Meadowlands certainly has built up a lot of momentum in 2021,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The little bettor can make scores and the bigger players have enormous pools to wager into that are much larger than last year. Full fields, low takeouts, a great wagering menu on a mile track and an incredible on-track and social media presentation are just some of the reasons new players have made The Meadowlands their wagering destination every Friday and Saturday night.”

Speaking of momentum, The Big M’s big January kept rolling into February, as the $7-million barrier was busted for a second consecutive weekend. During all of 2020 – except for Meadowlands Pace and Hambletonian weekends – that plateau was reached only once, and that weekend (June 19-20) needed 36 races to bet $7.5 million.

Wagering last weekend over the corresponding two programs from 2020 was up $1,691,263. January 5th was the first Friday in 2021 that saw betting top the $3-million mark, while the $3.966 million put in play on Saturday fell less than $35,000 short of becoming the third $4-million card of the year.

Comparing the last four programs of this year against the corresponding ones from 2020, wagering is up $773,650 per card.

THE SCHEDULE: Live racing at The Meadowlands takes place every Friday and Saturday evening. Post time is 6 p.m.

The track’s live “Racing from the Meadowlands” pre-game show begins at 5:27 p.m.

FREE PPs FOR ALL: Thanks to an agreement between The Meadowlands and TrackMaster, past performances for every race of every Big M program are now available at no cost.

To access the free PPs, go to playmeadowlands.com.

GET SOCIAL: You can always check in with the team at The Meadowlands on Twitter.

For early changes, racing information and staff selections, go to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

On race nights, stay in touch on Twitter with the Big M’s Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Shades Demsky (@shadesonracing) and Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1).

$100,000 GUARANTEED: Every night, The Meadowlands guarantees big green on both editions of its signature wager.

Each 50-cent Pick-4 (one gets underway in race six, the other in race 10) sports a $50,000 guaranteed pool. Last Saturday, the Early P4 saw $105,074 pushed through the windows while the late version of the popular puzzle took in $92,281 of action.

SIX LOW TAKEOUT BETS: A large part of The Meadowlands popularity with players are its big payoffs, big pools and enticing low 15 percent takeouts.

The menu of The Big M’s six sought-after low takeout wagers:

·         Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5

·         Race 3: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7

·         Race 6: 50-cent Early Pick-4

·         Race 8: 20-cent Pick-6

·         Race 10: 50-cent Late Pick-4

·         Race 15 (or final race): 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta

SUNDAY WAS SUPER: After a flurry of action at The Big M’s FanDuel Sportsbook in the days leading up to the National Football League’s championship game last Sunday (Feb. 7), bettors who wagered on quarterback extraordinaire Tom Brady to claim a seventh title had smiles on their faces at game’s end.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs – who were a 3-point favorite – by a score of 31-9 in a lopsided event that saw the Chiefs fail to score a single touchdown. Popular winning bets included the Bucs against the spread, Bucs on the money line and under on total points scored.

But that does not mean it is time to stop wagering on sports until football starts up again late next summer.

The action continues every day at FanDuel on the NBA, NHL, college basketball, tennis’ Australian Open and the UFC in the sportsbook which is open Sunday-Friday from 10 a.m.-midnight and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. The cash counter is open from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Big Move At Buffalo Pays Off For Lady London

by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway

 

HAMBURG, N.Y. --- A big early move paid off nicely late for Lady London as she scored a mild surprise in Buffalo Raceway's $9,500 Filly and Mares Open Handicapped Pace on Wednesday night (Feb.10).

 

Lady London (Ray Fisher Jr.) returned a nice $13.60 to her backers as she covered the mile in 1:56.1 over the good track, the fastest of the young season at Buffalo Raceway. Heavily favored Blue Bell Bonnie (Jim Morrill Jr.) was five lengths back in second while Perfect Blue Chip (Billy Davis Jr.) was third in the compact field of five.

 

Blue Bell Bonnie was parked out until the opening quarter by HP Sissy (James McNeight Jr.) and managed briefly to enjoy the lead until the half. Lady London, sitting in fourth, used a big brush down the stretch the first time and quickly took over command at the half in :57.4.

 

From there, Lady London left little doubt who the best was as she cruised home to the blowout victory.

 

Owned by Vhf Racing LLC and trained by Sabrina Shaw, it was the first win of the season in three attempts for Lady London (Big Jim-Maddam Luck). The 8-year-old mare has earned $6,450 in 2021 and $177,327 lifetime.

 

Davis Jr. finished the night with four driving wins while Fisher Jr. added two victories. Trainer Maria Rice sent three to the winner's circle.

 

Racing will continue on Saturday evening at 5 p.m. with a 10-race program scheduled.

 

For more information including the latest news, race replays, entries and results, go to www.buffaloraceway.com or follow along on Twitter or Facebook.

 

Bruce Aldrich notches win # 8,000

 Monticello, NY – On Monday February 8^th, Bruce Aldrich Jr. reached a career milestone by achieving his 8,000^th win at Monticello Raceway.  The win came with  a wire to wire effort from the Christopher Petrelli trained After The Lovin in 1:57.2 - $2.80. It was the 3rd win is 4 seasonal starts for the 5-year-old mare by Carnivore, she is owned by David A Del Pozza. Roll With Mimi (Jim DeVaux) finished second, followed by Cruisin Camnation (Cory Stratton).

It would be only fitting for Bruce to achieve the milestone at Monticello Raceway where he has won more than half of his wins at the Catskill Mountain oval in his career.  Bruce is a 6 time leading dash winner over the years at the Mighty M.

Aldrich has won purses in excess of $31,946,762 during his long career.

WESTERN JOE BATTLES BACK IN BIG M FEATURE

By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – It appeared not to be Western Joe’s night in the featured $22,500 winners-over $11,500 pace Saturday night at The Meadowlands after getting passed at the three-quarter-mile marker, but the veteran warhorse showed his class through the stretch in a thoroughly dominant performance to chalk up a second win in his last three Big M starts.

“I wasn’t surprised that he came back to win,” said winning trainer Chris Choate. “When he hits that last turn, it looks like he’s going to finish fifth, but then he kicks in.”

Driver Simon Allard had ‘Joe’ – a 7-year-old gelded son of Western Ideal-Ante Fay – on the go from the get-go, barreling four-wide into the first turn from post eight in the 10-horse field and taking over the top just after quarter, which was set by Western Fame in :27.3.

As the 3-5 favorite, Western Joe was sailing along on the engine after a rated second fraction of :28.4, when shortly thereafter, Paduka N popped out the three-hole and came after the leader hard, grabbing the lead at three-quarters by three-quarters of a length while parked after a furious backside brush.

Then Western Joe got serious, finding another gear off the far turn and exploding clear at the eighth pole, powering away from a weary Paduka N on the way to a 1¾-length score in 1:51.3. Hudson Phil and Decision Day rallied to get second and third, respectively. Paduka N weakened and finished last.

“He raced very well last week,” said Choate of Western Joe’s third-place finish to Springsteen and No Easy Day at The Big M. “I didn’t want to see him come first-up, but the two horses that beat him weren’t there tonight. He’s a hard knocker.

“He stalls somewhat on the turns. I don’t know why. Ninety percent of the time he does that. Why, I’m not sure. But as long as he keeps on winning…….”

Now victorious in 31 of his 99 lifetime starts, Western Joe, who established his lifetime-best of 1:47.3 in taking the 2018 Sam McKee Memorial at The Meadowlands, returned $3.20 to his backers in lifting his earnings to $726,858 for owners Anthony Ruggeri and Richard Tosies.

“I’m not sure if he can go with the big boys anymore,” said Choate. “We’ll stay at The Meadowlands as long as there are races for him. The Borgata Series at Yonkers is an option. We have a week to decide, but that’s up to the owners.”

BETTING CLOSE TO $4 MILLION: With four races seeing action that exceeded the $300,000 mark, all-source wagering came close to topping the $4-million mark for a second consecutive Saturday night.

Total action on the 15-race card was $3,966,231 to cap a second consecutive weekend that saw over $7 million pushed through the windows.

Through the first 11 race cards of 2021, wagering has been at least $3 million on seven occasions and over $4 million twice.

During all of 2020, the $3-million barrier was busted 11 times while action exceeded $4 million on three programs.

BIG GAME WINNERS: Forevernalways completed a two-race sweep of the Big Game Series for $12,500 claimers for trainer Nick Sodano in 1:52.3 as the 9-5 favorite. Dexter Dunn was in the sulky.

In the Big Game for non-winners of $11,500, Tulhurstsantanna A and driver Andy McCarthy scored in 1:51.1 as the 7-2 second choice, giving the Andrew Harris trainee a sweep of the two-race event.

A LITTLE MORE: A carryover of $21,961 led to a total pool of $79,254 in the 15^th race 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta, and those lucky enough to have tickets with the winning combination of 2-6-3-4-10 cashed in for $10,094.20. … Dunn paced the driver colony with four winners, lifting his Big M leading dash-win total to 31. Scott Zeron and Todd McCarthy had two apiece. … Racing resumes Friday at 6 p.m.