Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The “Biggest
Night in Harness Racing” takes place Saturday (July 18) at the track known as
the Big M. And for bettors, Meadowlands Pace Night 2020 is now even bigger.
The action and stakes racing will be
excessive Saturday at North America’s top venue, with the marquee event – The
Meadowlands Pace, a 3-year-old open for a purse of $636,650 – scheduled as Race
9, with a post time of 9:55 p.m.
“Every year, Meadowlands Pace Night
sports one of the truly special race cards of the year,” said track Chief
Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The 13-race program
has many stakes events, and the wagering opportunities are numerous. On
Saturday, we will be offering a mandatory payout on our 20-cent Jackpot Super
High-Five, so the total pool should be huge.”
This Friday night’s Early 20-cent
Jackpot Super High-Five will not be offered so that Saturday’s can start out
with a carryover of $65,089 in the 11th race. “It is our hope that
our players will go after the Saturday Super High-Five in a big way,” said
Settlemoir. “Hopefully, we can get $200,000 into that pool and get one – or
several – players a nice score.”
Saturday’s wagering menu will be
expanded. Here is a look at what – and when – players will be playing the
track’s popular puzzles, all of which offer a low 15 percent takeout:
·
20-cent Pick-5 (Races
1-5, $50,000 guaranteed pool)
·
50-cent All Stakes
Pick-4 (Races 6-9, $100,000 guarantee)
·
20-cent Pick-6 (Races
8-13)
·
20-cent Pick-5 (Races 9-13)
·
50-cent Pick-4 (Races
10-13)
·
20-cent Jackpot Super
High-Five (Race 11, $65,089 carryover, mandatory payout, estimated pool
$200,000)
The Big M has good momentum heading
into this weekend’s racing, with $3,440,248 having been wagered last Saturday,
the high at the mile oval this year for a 13-race card, on which the track set
a per-race average best of $264,634.
Despite the absence of the Early
20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five on Friday, fans of the wager will still have a
big opportunity in the 13th race, as that JSH5 will start out with a
carryover of $80,368. Friday’s program begins at the usual 7:15 p.m.
STAKES-STACKED CARD: Saturday’s Meadowlands Pace Night
program gets underway a little earlier than usual, with a first-race post time
of 6:30 p.m.
In addition to The Pace, the card
also offers the $40,000 Miss Versatility (featuring Manchego), $253,500 Del
Miller Memorial (Hypnotic AM), $284,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial-two divisions
(Amigo Volo and Beads), $194,400 Mistletoe Shalee (JK First Lady), $391,300
William Haughton Memorial (Dancin Lou), $464,900 Hambletonian Maturity
(Gimpanzee), $172,850 Dorothy Haughton (Shartin N) and $123,100 William Haughton
Memorial Consolation (Sintra).
OWNERS BACK IN THE WC: For the first time since before the
coronavirus shutdown in early March, owners will be welcome back in the
winner’s circle on Saturday night, with masks and social distancing strictly
enforced.
PACE CARD LIVE ON FACEBOOK: The entire Meadowlands Pace card can
be seen live on the Meadowlands’ Facebook page.
The races can also be seen on the
Roberts Television Network (rtn.tv) or on the
Television Games Network (TVG). To bet the races go to 4njbets.com, tvg.com
or your favorite ADW (advance-deposit wagering) platform.
“We are looking forward to an
international viewing audience on TVG on Pace Night,” said Settlemoir. “But we
also look forward to seeing our fans at the track as well.”
For those who want to come out to the
races, grandstand capacity is 25 percent with more patrons allowed outside on
the apron. Theweatherchannel.com is forecasting fabulous conditions for
Saturday night, with temperatures in the mid-70s, a few clouds and light winds.
ASHLEY RETURNS: The Meadowlands’ Dave Brower, Dave
Little, Ken Warkentin and Jessica Otten will be joined for a second straight
weekend by Ashley Mailloux, the paddock analyst and handicapper at Ft. Erie
Racetrack, who will be on hand to bolster the Big M’s TV presence.
Mailloux also contributes – and
freelances – for Post Time with Mike and Mike, America’s Best Racing, the
Maryland Jockey Club and the Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN).
Otten spent the early part of the
week out at the farms of some of The Pace contenders, and her reports will be
shown throughout the weekend.
On Friday, Mailloux will sit beside
Brower and serve as co-host of the live simulcast presentation at 6:45 p.m.
Saturday’s show will have Brower and Little on set, with an earlier-than-usual
start time of 5:45 p.m. Otten and Mailloux will have features and interviews
all weekend long, and, of course, Warkentin, the voice of The Big M, will call
all 26 races.
Due to the cancellation of racing at
Del Mar, Meadowlands management is anticipating more coverage on TVG’s live
presentation of the races. Little will be on TVG duty Friday, and Mike Bozich,
the track announcer at Harrah’s Philadelphia, will take the microphone
Saturday.
FREE STUFF: For free past performances, go to playmeadowlands.com. Friday night, the
Late 50-cent Pick-4 and Late 20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five (races 10-13) will
be available.
On Saturday, bettors can access the
entire Meadowlands Pace Night card.
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 Dave Brower’s selections and commentary. Go
to the “handicapping” drop down and then go to “race reviews”.
Additionally, track announcer Ken
Warkentin’s blog is available on the site and offers his picks and analysis.
TWEET THE TEAM: Stay in touch on Twitter with the Big
M’s Brower (@eedoogie), Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Warkentin (@kenvoiceover),
Otten (@JessicaOtten1) and Mailloux (@ashley_mailloux). Check in everyday for
Meadowlands news and updates at those handles, as well as @TheMeadowlands, #playbigm
and #paceyourself20.
FOLLOW THE FAVORITES: Want to know what the trainer and
driver of Meadowlands Pace 7-5 morning-line favorite Tall Dark Stranger are
saying? Follow trainer Nancy Takter (@NancyTakter) and driver Yannick Gingras
(@Gingras3) on Twitter.
READ ALL ABOUT IT: Check the following harness racing outlets on the internet for everything Meadowlands Pace, before and after the race: playmeadowlands.com, ustrotting.com, drf.com/harness/, harnessracing.com, standardbredcanada.ca, harnessracingupdate.com and harnesslink.com.
