By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – With real-feel
temperatures that got as low as 12 degrees, it was tough to stay warm at The
Meadowlands Saturday night, but driver Yannick Gingras and The Big M betting
faithful were unaffected by the winter chill.
The 41-year-old Gingras was scalding
hot at the start of the card, winning four of the first five races. While
Gingras has had many four-winner nights at the mile oval it’s hard to imagine he’s
had very many with the kind of prices his followers collected Saturday.
Ollie’s Ztam got Gingras’ night off
to a good start with a wire-to-wire win at odds of 9-1 in the opener before 8-1
chance Big City Bud came from off the pace to complete the Gingras Early Daily
Double that returned $163.40.
“The Green Hornet” guided Pogey Beach
to a 10-hole score to complete a natural hat trick at odds of 11-1, before
Gingras completed his grand slam with 5-2 Warrawee Unique, who went
gate-to-wire in race five. Three of Gingras’ winners hailed from the Ron Burke
barn.
All-source wagering continued to show
huge Saturday night returns, as a total of $3,404,537 was put in play, marking
the fourth consecutive Saturday in 2021 (and fifth straight dating back to
2020) where betting topped the $3.4-million mark. During all of last year,
betting reached the $3-million plateau 11 times, only once during January.
As usual, the two Pick-4 wagers
proved popular, as a total of $182,844 was put in play on the preferred
puzzles.
The 20-cent Pick-6 had a carryover of
just under $7,300, which led to a total pool of $36,159. The sharpies who had
all half-dozen correct collected $6,365.90.
ONTARIO STANDOUTS: While the COVID-19 shutdown continues
at Woodbine at Mohawk Park, trainer Carmen Auciello won twice on the card with
a pair of Ontario shippers.
Buck Dancer, who last raced on Dec.
21 at WMP, impressed going wire-to-wire in the $15,500 featured trot for
non-winners of $11,500 in their last five starts. Andy McCarthy guided the 7-2
second choice, a 5-year-old gelded son of Guccio-Shaken Not Stirred, who
stopped the clock in 1:53.4.
Auciello’s Points North took the
$22,500 pacing feature for non-winners of $15,000 in their last five outings.
Mark MacDonald, who broke an oh-fer at the meeting with a driving double,
guided the 6-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere-Northwest Hanover – who
was sent to the gate as the 6-1 sixth choice – to his fourth straight score
after hitting the wire in 1:51.3.
The Jeff Cullipher barn is out of its
early-meet slump. The Big M’s second-leading barn at the Fall Meeting equaled
the “Burke Brigade’s” three wins on the Saturday card.
A LITTLE MORE: Simon Allard recorded his second
consecutive driving double. … Dexter Dunn also won twice, giving him six
winners for the weekend and 21 at the current meeting, which leads all Big M
drivers. … George Napolitano Jr. also guided a pair to victory lane. … Chalk
players took it on the chin, as only three public choices emerged victorious on
the card. Before both favorites took the Late Daily Double, only two chalks had
won over a 21-race span. … Free past performances for every race of every Big M
card are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.
… Racing resumes Friday at 6 p.m.
