By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Hambletonian
Day handle was up 13 percent over a year ago as a total of $6,487,839 was
pushed through the windows on Saturday’s 16-race card at The Meadowlands.
The $6.4 million established a 2021 best
at The Big M, as did the per race average of $405,489. Wagering was steady
throughout the course of the day as six races saw the $400,000 betting barrier
busted.
Not surprisingly, the top two
single-race totals were recorded on the Hambletonian Oaks ($486,594) and
Hambletonian ($866,013).
Over the 63 programs that made up the
Championship Meeting (or, more accurately, Winter-Spring-Championship Meeting),
a total of $208,050,187 was wagered on Meadowlands’ races, an average per card
of $3,302,383.
DUNN, CULLIPHER CLAIM TITLES: Dexter Dunn and Jeff Cullipher walked
away with driver and trainer dash-win honors at The Championship Meeting, which
concluded Saturday, Hambletonian Day.
After driving four winners, Dunn
finished the meeting with 125 victories, 40 more than runner-up Andy McCarthy.
The 31-year-old Dunn also won the
money-earnings crown with a total of $2,776,912, approximately $400,000 more
than second-place finisher Tim Tetrick.
Cullipher won once on Hambo Day to
finish the meet with 54 victories, six more than Ron Burke, who saw his
Championship Meeting dash-win crown streak snapped at nine.
Burke was the top money-earning
trainer with $1,883,853. Nancy Takter was second with $1,500,171.
A QUICK TATTOO: Tattoo Artist cut out incredible
fractions of :25, :52 and 1:18.3 on the way to a 1:47.1 lifetime-best score in
the fourth race $50,000 Preferred for pacers, which was in honor of The Big M’s
late, great, former racing secretary Joe DeFrank. It was the fastest mile on
the Hambo Day card.
The 4-year-old son of He’s
Watching-Stylish Artist was driven by Tetrick and is trained by Chris Ryder. He
now has 16 wins from 36 career starts and lifetime earnings of $790,367.
A LITTLE MORE: Dunn’s four winners led the driver
colony. Tetrick was next with three. … Nifty Norman was the top conditioner
with four winner’s circle visitors. … Live racing returns to The Big M on
Friday, September 3.
