Andy Miller and Yannick Gingras were the driving stars
Saturday night at the Meadowlands, both winning three races. Miller’s
three wins included the “prep” for the Exit 16W with Mr. Dennis. That
winner was a recent $110,000 January Mixed Sale Purchase for Nick Surick and
the J L Benson Stables. Mr. Dennis, who hit the mile on the snowy night
in a sharp 1:49.4, completed the 1 1/16th in 1:57, just 4/5th
of a second off Artistic Fella’s world record.
Gingras scored with a pair of Ron Burke trainees earlier in
the card along with the finale. The remainder of the driving colony shared the
wealth at the Meadowlands on Saturday night with Dave Miller, Ron Pierce and
John Campbell all winning two races.
The snowy and cold conditions couldn’t slow down the
wagering which was hot and heavy. The total all-sources handle was over
$3 million once again at $3,438,921. That marked a sixteen-percent
increase from the $2,953,675 wagered on this same Saturday in 2012. Not
only has the handle at the Meadowlands been up each of the 15 nights of racing
thus far, but the back to back $3 million nights on Friday and Saturday were
the first since the weekend of April 2nd and 3rd, 2010.
Racing returns Thursday with the first round of the
Winter Survivor Series for $15,000 claiming pacers, featuring five divisions
and the first leg of the Charles Singer for four year old trotters with three
divisions. The series action continues on Friday with the first leg of
the Junior Trendsetter for three year old pacers and Saturday with the first
round of the Exit 16W for four year old pacers. Post time for all three
cards is 7:15 P.M.
