Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The year 2021
may have been challenging for society, but business at The Meadowlands was
extraordinary while providing horseplayers a diversion from the pandemic.
This Friday (Jan. 7), The Big M will
kick off what it hopes to be another big year with the first of two 15-race
programs that get underway at 6:20 p.m. Racing will be conducted on a
Friday-Saturday basis for the next 31 weeks. In addition, there will be racing
on three Thursdays during that span (June 30, July 7 and Aug. 4).
“Winter is normally a good time for
us with some of the closer tracks dark for the next few months,” said track
Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Our entry box
got great support from horsemen wanting to get their horses raced, so much so that
we are able to present 30 races this first weekend of 2022.”
The action should be sizable to start
the year, if the final program of 2021 is any indication. Last Friday (Dec.
31), wagering on the 14-race card totaled $2.97 million, which nudged action
for the year just past the $276-million mark for the 92 racing programs,
meaning that the mile oval’s average handle per card was a remarkable $3
million.
“We all know how tough 2021 was on
all of us,” said Settlemoir. “But we were grateful to be able to conduct our
races and be as successful as we were while keeping our horsemen, staff, and
customers safe. Moving forward, with Covid numbers on the rise, we will be
taking some precautions to keep our co-workers and guests safe and healthy for
the New Year.”
Until further notice, face masks must
be worn by staff and guests, regardless of vaccination status, in the
grandstand as well as the FanDuel Sportsbook.
DEXTER’S DOMAIN: After being the leading driver at
both the Winter-Spring-Championship and Fall Meetings, Dexter Dunn finished
2021 atop the Big M standings with 166 victories. Yannick Gingras was second
with 117.
Ron Burke finished second to Jeff
Cullipher during the W-S-C Meeting but won 30 times in the Fall to pass
Cullipher for the year, 79 wins to 71.
Dunn, the now three-time defending
United States Harness Writers Association Driver of the Year, finished 2021
with 424 victories (10th in the national standings), good for
earnings of $12,916,775. Tim Tetrick, who won 10 races on New Year’s Eve at
Harrah’s Philadelphia, edged out Dunn for leading money-winning driver with
$12,917,113, just $338 more than Dunn.
Burke, as usual, was by far the
leading trainer nationally with 985 wins and a bankroll of $21,714,137, taking
those two titles for a 13th consecutive year.
A NEW LOOK: The Meadowlands website has had a
makeover, and those seeking the 411 on everything Big M can now do so at a site
with a clean, modern design that is mobile responsive.
As it has always been, the address is
playmeadowlands.com
and is worth checking out.
DID YOU SEE THAT POOL? A carryover of $38,923.56 led to
$231,849.96 in “new money” being poured into the pot for a grand total of
$270,773 in the 20-cent Pick-5 that took place on the final night of racing in
2021 (Dec. 31).
There was big-time excitement after
driver Johnathan Ahle guided 57-1 shot Galactic Galleon N to victory lane in
the second race GSY Final, and by the time the will pays were posted before the
start of the fifth race, there were three possibilities of single-ticket
winners walking away with better than $230,000.
The big payoff wasn’t to be, but
those who cashed did not complain, as those with winning tickets walked away
with $27,565.46. There were no winning favorites, but other than Ahle’s
knockout punch, no winners paid less than $10.60 or more than $13.60.
Twenty-cent Pick-6 players also got
in on the fun, as a modest carryover of a little more than $6,000 led to a
total pool of better than $39,000. With a 50-1 bomb raising the payout, there
was only one winning ticket, which was good for $34,157.
The 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 came back
a healthy $7,015, despite the single winner needing only five correct
selections on his or her ticket.
“We know that full fields, big pools
and low takeouts certainly bring more people to play The Meadowlands,” said
Settlemoir. “Add a marvelous New Year’s Eve party that culminated with a big
fireworks display as midnight drew near and it ended up being the perfect
nightcap to a great 2021 season.”
SPEAKING OF LOW TAKEOUTS: The Meadowlands is the industry’s
handle leader, and much of the reason why is that many of the bets the mile
oval offers feature a low takeout of 15 percent.
Here is a rundown of those wagers for
the upcoming weekend:
·
Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5
·
Race 3: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7
·
Race 6: 50-cent Early Pick-4 ($50,000
guaranteed pool)
·
Race 8: 20-cent Pick-6
·
Race 10: 50-cent Late Pick-4 ($50,000
guaranteed pool)
·
Race 15: 10-cent Pentafecta/Hi-5
WHO DOES BROWER LIKE? For expert selections and analysis of
every Big M card, check out track oddsmaker Dave Brower’s race reviews.
For Brower’s input, which is
generally available 48 hours before every card, go to playmeadowlands.com, then
click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews”.
GET SOCIAL: Everything Meadowlands is available
by going on Twitter. You can check in with the Big M team for early changes,
racing information and staff selections by going to @themeadowlands or
#playbigm.
On race nights, stay in touch with
Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1), Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little
(@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Shades (@ShadesOnRacing) and
Edison Hatter (@Edison_1999_).
NFL WEEK 18: For the first time in its storied
history, the National Football League will have a Week 18, and you can watch
and wager on the games – many of which have playoff implications – in the
FanDuel Sportsbook, located in the grandstand at The Big M.
To get things underway, there is a
doubleheader on Saturday (Jan. 8), so fans can double up playing the live races
and professional football.
At 4:30 p.m., the Kansas City Chiefs
are a 10-point road favorite traveling to Denver to take on the Broncos. KC is
-460 on the money line and the under/over is 44½.
In the late game, longtime NFC East
rivals go at it in an 8:15 p.m. start. The Dallas Cowboys, another road
favorite, are listed at -6 1/2 over the Philadelphia Eagles and are -260 on the
money line. The under/over is 42 1/2.
Then, Sunday (Jan. 9) will bring 14
more games as the regular season finishes up.
Hours for the FanDuel Sportsbook are
Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Friday 10 a.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday 7
a.m.-2 a.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.-12 a.m.
