BETTING BUSTS THE $3-MILLION BARRIER AGAIN AT BIG M
By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Wagering was
vigorous at The Meadowlands Saturday night, with all-source action clearing the
$3-million hurdle for the fourth time in 2022 as $3,173,852 was put in play on
the 13-race card.
Single-race betting exceeded $300,000
twice during the program, as $300,459 was wagered on race seven while $313,444
was the total pool on the 10th. The track’s most-popular multi-leg
bet – the $50,000 guaranteed 50-cent Pick-4 – was a hit with players, as
$91,429 was put in play in the sixth race before $93,952 was poured into the
pot in the 10th.
The best night of wagering this year
came on March 5, when a total of $3.75 million worth of action was taken.
GETTING IT DUNN: Dexter Dunn followed up his
three-winner Friday with four more victories on the Saturday card, assuring the
32-year-old pilot of being named The Big M Driver of the Week for a second
consecutive time.
Dunn reeled off four winners in a row
starting in the third race when Stienams Beach scored and paid $10.60. I’ll
Drink To That followed and returned $4.00 before I’m A Big Deal ($8.40) and Kenziesky
Hanover ($6.20) capped the three-time defending United States Harness Writers
Association Driver of the Year’s night.
The New Zealand native is continuing
his climb in the driver standings. He currently sits fourth with 21 winners.
Yannick Gingras (56), Joe Bongiorno (34) and Corey Callahan (22) are the top
three.
THE STREAK LIVES: Gingras took the second race with
Flyhawk El Fuerte ($13.00), extending the 42-year-old Hall of Fame-bound
pilot’s streak of winning at least once on all 21 race cards conducted at The
Big M in 2022.
A LITTLE MORE: Jeff Cullipher, Williams Hernandez
and Chris Ryder all trained a pair to victory lane. … Todd McCarthy had a
driving triple. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.
