Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – As the saying
goes: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and
taxes.”
But at the Meadowlands, there are
exceptions to that rule.
For Big M bettors, guarantees have
been part of the landscape for some time now, and pending regulatory approval,
one already in play is about to get sweeter, while another is brand new.
Beginning
Friday, March 6 (post time 6:55 p.m.), the Big M will offer three popular
multi-leg wagers with guaranteed pools that total $130,000. They are:
·
The 20-cent Pick-5 (race
one), which will now have a $40,000 guaranteed pool, up 60% from the $25,000
promise it had previously
·
The track’s “signature”
wager, the Early 50-cent Pick-4 (race six), whose $50,000 guarantee remains
unchanged
·
The new Late 50-cent Pick-4
(race 10), which is off to an incredible start in its first four weeks, will
now go from no guarantee to a $40,000 assurance
“This is an
enormous step for not only the Meadowlands, but for the sport of harness racing,”
said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir.
“Making the game better for horseplayers has to be a major part of the equation
for this sport to flourish. Our fans around the world have responded positively
to our new wagering menu, and we are responding to our horseplayers with
$130,000 in nightly guarantees, big carryover pools and multi-leg wagers that
offer a low takeout of 15 percent.”
It appears the call by Big M
management to shakeup the wagering format four weeks ago was the right one,
based on last weekend’s returns. After Friday’s (Feb. 28) handle reached
$2,970,735 – third best of 2020 – the very next night that number was eclipsed
when $2,973,673 was pushed through the windows.
The weekend total of $5,944,408 and
per race average (for the 26 races) of $228,631 both established seasonal
bests.
The guarantee of the Pick-5 pool
appears to be one that will be surpassed rather easily, even with the increase.
The wager has seen all eight of its pools exceed $55,000 since it was updated
to use a base wager of 20 cents, with the last three reaching at least $72,000.
Last weekend’s payoffs were certain
to put a smile on winner’s faces, as they cashed in for $2,092 on Friday and
$3,140 on Saturday.
The consistent play in the Early
Pick-4 has seen seven straight pools of $70,000 or more, while going past
$80,000 on four occasions. One could argue the biggest surprise has been the
popularity of the Late Pick-4, which has seen wagering of at least $70,000 in
its last four tries, including a bet-best $86,834 last Saturday. This for a
wager that did not exist until Feb. 7.
The only one of the Big M’s “Fab
Four” wagers not to offer a guarantee is the 20-cent Pick-6, but when the bet
doesn’t get hit, the ensuing carryover always makes it special. After Friday’s
Pick-6 failed to produce any tickets with six winners, $11,270 carried over to
Saturday’s card, when $77,512 in new money was wagered to create a total pool
of $88,782.
The average Pick-6 payout is a handsome
$4,145.
FREE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY PPs: For free past performances of the
entire Big M cards for Friday and Saturday, go to playmeadowlands.com.
JSH5 ALERT: 20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five
players are waiting for this weekend with great anticipation, as carryovers of
$40,367 (race five) and $37,169 (race 13) will go to any player on Friday night
who are holding the only ticket bearing the numbers of the first five in
official order of finish.
FEBRUARY STANDOUTS: Yannick Gingras recorded a driving
double on both Friday and Saturday last week to finish atop the February driver
standings with 23 wins. Dexter Dunn, who scored four times Saturday night,
finished the month with 19 victories.
Ron Burke sat atop the February
trainer standings with 19 winner’s circle trips.
WHHC QUALIFIER: On Saturday (March 7), the Big M will
host its March World Harness Handicapping Championship Qualifier, the final
qualifier to be held at the Big M. The top two finishers Saturday will qualify
for the April 18 WHHC Final. It’s only $200 to play ($100 to enter; $100
bankroll). For complete information, go to http://playmeadowlands.com/contest_detail.aspx?id=1646.
TIME FOR MAYHEM: The NCAA Basketball Tournament is
almost here, and you can get a front row seat to the action – while getting
your action – in the Big M’s FanDuel Sportsbook.
The selection show is at 6 p.m. on
Sunday, March 15 when all conference tournament play is concluded. Then, the
68-team tournament – known for its upsets and Cinderella stories – gets
underway on Tuesday, March 17.
