Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The
Meadowlands is known for good business and good racing in the wintertime, but
even the track’s biggest supporters – whether management or fan – might have
been a tad surprised at how things transpired at the mile oval over the course
of the eight racing programs during the month of February.
On the track, nobody did it
better than driver Yannick Gingras. During the month, Gingras – who won 13
times during the opening weekend – visited the winner’s circle 33 times. His
win percentage was a gaudy 33 and he hit the board 57 percent of the time.
The next three most prolific
winning drivers – Dexter Dunn (14), Andy Miller (11) and Corey Callahan (9) –
all did well yet combined to win only one more race than Gingras did all by
himself.
Trainer Ron Burke – who not
surprisingly uses Gingras as his go-to pilot – also amassed remarkable February
numbers, winning 18-of-46 starts, good for a win percentage of 39.
Wagering at the sport’s
industry leader hit high gear during February when a total of $23,122,405 was
pushed through the windows. Average handle per card was $2,890,300, while
$222,330 was bet per race.
The Big M’s popular low
takeout (15 per cent) multi-leg bets saw plenty of play. The eight February
50-Cent Pick-5 pools took $480,160 in action, averaging $60,020 per, while the
50-Cent Pick-4 handled $788,568, good for an average pool of $98,571.
Last Saturday (Feb. 23),
shrewd handicappers hit big when playing the wagers. The Pick-5 saw no winning
favorites during its sequence, and as a result, those holding winning tickets
cashed in for $14,703. On the same night, the Pick-4 came back an extremely
appealing $4,492 despite a pair of winning “figure” horses. During that
sequence, there was one winner who paid $7.80 as a second choice and another
who came back $4.20 as the even-money favorite, with both driven by Gingras.
The challenge for those who
hit was having one 20-1 shot and one 15-1 chance, both of whom went inside
trips as a contentious pace with a live outer flow unfolded around them, a
common Meadowlands occurrence.
The average Pick-5 payoff
during February was $3,264 while the Pick-4 yielded $1,207.
Free program pages for the
Pick-4s for the upcoming Friday and Saturday programs are available – as always
– by going to www.ustrotting.com
or www.playmeadowlands.com.
When racing resumes Friday at
7:15 p.m., 20-Cent Jackpot Super High-Five players have a pair of healthy
carryovers to shoot for. In the fifth race, $54,633 will be the starting point,
while in the 13th race, $14,065 will be up for grabs.
February might be over, but
there is much to look forward to in March. The first of two substantial purse
increases take effect Friday. One such increase will be reflected in the
seventh race Preferred Handicap for pacers, where the purse, which had been
$21,000, will now offer $25,000 for the top five finishers to divvy up.
“Good weather, competitive
racing and full fields led to us having a great month of February,” said Big M
Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir, “the support of
our horsemen was a big factor on how well things went. Starting this week, we
hope to continue to get their support as we offer bigger purses, which should
provide our fans with the wagering opportunities – specifically big fields –
they want.”
COUNTDOWN TO MADNESS: College basketball’s yearly stranglehold on the sports
world begins March 19, as “March Madness” gets underway. For the first time
ever, Meadowlands fans can watch and wager on each and every one of the games
in the Big M’s FanDuel Sportsbook.
LET ME BE YOUR TEDDY BEAR:
On Friday (March 1), spend an evening
with Elvis Presley impersonator Ralph Carey, who will take you through the
career of “The King”. They’ll be music, laughter and memories, and you get the
show plus a buffet dinner for only $29.95. Call 201-THE-BIGM for reservations.
CATCH THE FEVER: On March 1 and 2, there will literally be plenty of
money up for grabs at the Meadowlands.
Six contestants will be selected
to spend 30 seconds in the track’s “Cash Money Machine” and grab as much green
as they can before the clock runs out. To be eligible, one must enter before
the fifth race with the contest to take place after the sixth.
Contestants must “catch and hold”
as much cash as they can. The available denominations are $1, $2, $5, $10, $25,
$50, $100 and $500. While in the money machine, participants must face forward
and catch the cash, no bending down or turning around will be allowed. All
monies must be collected in the provided cooler bag. No money in pockets or
hugged to the body will count towards the prize money.
WHHC QUALIFIER: On Saturday (March 16), there will be a last chance
$200 qualifier for the World Harness Handicapping Championship at the Big M.
For complete information, go to http://playmeadowlands.com/uploadedFiles/2019%20March%20WHHC%20qualifier_Rev1.pdf.
