By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Yannick Gingras
had yet another successful year in 2021, as his horses earned $11.2 million to
rank the 42-year-old driver third in the national standings, and Friday night
at The Meadowlands, he got his 2022 off to a superb start by winning five times
on the initial card of the year at the mile oval.
The Quebec native got his night going
in the sixth race, scoring with 4-5 favorite She’s Nun Bettor N from post 10
despite extremely chilly and windy conditions (the real feel temperature was 15
degrees). His second victory came two races later when he guided 2-1 public
choice Muscle Jack to victory lane, winning again from the 10 hole.
“[Muscle Jack] raced well. I was a
little worried about him because at Yonkers he was a complete lunatic,” said
Gingras. “He was actually pretty good to drive, he was trotting through the
stretch pretty well.”
Win No. 3 came with the Jeff
Cullipher-trained Birdman as the 3-5 favorite, giving Cullipher – the leading
dash-winning trainer at the 2021 Winter-Spring-Championship Meeting at The Big
M – his 1,000th career victory.
Flirty Forty took the 12th
race as the 2-1 public choice to give “The Green Hornet" his fourth score
of the evening before he capped his big night with his biggest price, guiding
7-1 chance Manhattanup No Ice to victory lane in the 15th and final.
“I had some power tonight and they
were ready to race,” said Gingras. “I’m looking forward to staying healthy and
having a good 2022.”
Gingras, who finished second to
Dexter Dunn during 2021 in The Big M standings in dash wins with 116, upped his
lifetime win total to 7,991 after his big night, leaving him just nine short of
the 8,000-win plateau.
ANOTHER BIG PICK-5: After closing out 2021 with a big
payout, shrewd 20-cent Pick-5 players hit big again Friday night.
On New Year’s Eve, bettors were
thinking big as a carryover led to a total pool of over $270,000 and a payout
of $27,565. Friday night, the pool may have been nowhere as large ($42,530),
but after driver Joe Bongiorno scored with 20-1 chance Itty Bitty after going a
brutal first-over trip in the fifth race, those with winning tickets walked
away with $14,121.
A LITTLE MORE: Mark Ford recorded a training triple
after completing a sweep of the Late Double ($122.20). … There were no winning
tickets sold in the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $4,540. Those with
five correct cashed in for $252.28. … Free past performances for every race of
every Meadowlands card are available by going to playmeadowlands.com. … All-source handle
totaled $2,797,927. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.
