Meadowlands
Media Relations
EAST
RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Everything was in proper alignment Saturday night at the
Meadowlands, as harness racing’s handle leader had its biggest non-Meadowlands
Pace or Hambletonian in two years, when the track saw $3,454,633 pushed through
the windows.
The handle was
the highest since the track hosted the Breeders Crown on October 29, 2016
(excluding the 2017 Meadowlands Pace and Hambletonian), when $3,461,457 was wagered,
only $7,000 more than what was bet Saturday. Both cards had 13 races.
“The
combination of a Pick-5 carryover, the World Harness Handicapping Championship
tournaments, a $90,000 Pick-4 pool, a $120,000 Jackpot Super High Five
carryover along with the cancellation of Friday’s card created the perfect
storm for a big handle night,” said Jason Settlemoir, the track’s chief
operating officer and general manager.
“The night was
great and the fact we almost handled what we did hosting the Breeders Crown Finals
in 2016 is amazing. The Meadowlands players supported the Saturday card with
incredible enthusiasm from start to finish. The last race went at 11:27 p.m.,
yet did almost a quarter of a million dollars, and all 13 races handled more
than $200,000.”
Saturday’s
handle crushed the previous 2018 best of $2,790,201 (established on Jan. 27) by
24 percent while the per race average of $265,741 was a little over $50,000
more than the previous best of $214,630 (also Jan. 27).
PICKY,
PICKY: The $30,000
carryover in the Pick-5 led to $230,199 in “new money” for a final pool of
$260,401. … Race 3, which is the first leg of the Pick-5, saw $422,271 in
wagers. … The Pick-5 sequence (Races 3 through 7) handled $1,430,565. … The
Pick-4 pool saw $90,666 in play and served as the catalyst for that sequence
(Races 8 through 11), which saw $1,132,218 in play.
Free program pages for the Meadowlands Pick 4, courtesy of Track
Master, are available on the Meadowlands’ website (www.playmeadowlands.com) and on the handicapping section
at www.ustrotting.com.
SUPER
JACKPOT: This Friday,
players will be waiting around until the end of the night for a shot at a big
pot. The Late 20-Cent Jackpot Super High Five (Race 13) has a carryover of
$126,952. The bet requires one be the only ticket holder of the winning
combination to rake the pot.
Even when the
jackpot isn’t hit, cashing a ticket can still be lucrative. On Saturday, those
who had winning tickets cashed in for $1,600 for a 20-cent wager, that in a
race where the Exacta paid only $10.40.
LIVE SHOW
FRIDAY: “Meadowlands
Harness Live” returns Friday at 9 p.m. on SNY with coverage of Races 7, 8 and
9. The Big M TV team of Dave Brower, Dave Little, Bob “Hollywood” Heyden and
Ken Warkentin will provide commentary, selections and interviews. … Post time
for live racing this Friday and Saturday is 6:35 p.m.
