Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – There’s a
reason Christmas only comes once a year. The same can be said for Hambletonian
Day at The Meadowlands, which is Saturday (Aug. 6).
It’s so special, you couldn’t do
anything this big more than once every 12 months.
The drama will begin with a special
early post time of noon when the field for the first of 16 action-packed races
heads to the gate. There are 10 stakes events sprinkled throughout the day,
headlined by the $1 million Hambletonian and $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks.
A big crowd is likely, with
temperatures expected to be in the mid-80s.
“There is nothing in harness racing
like Hambletonian Day,” said Meadowlands’ Chief Operating Officer and General
Manager Jason Settlemoir. “And I recommend to anyone that can to be with us
live on track. The greatest stars from all over the world. The top horses in
every division. The excitement. The food. The live music. A drawing for a grand
prize of $10,000 for our Masterminds contest. This card will produce our
biggest handle – and very likely, our biggest attendance – of 2022, so for
horseplayers, they get to play in what will be our biggest pools of the year.
The Big M is the place to be this Saturday.”
WHERE TO WATCH: For those who cannot make it out to
the track, The Hambletonian will be shown live on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) as part of
the New York Racing Association’s presentation of “Saratoga Live”. Post time
for The Hambo is 6:35 p.m. The on-track pregame show with Dave Brower and Dave
Little kicks off at 11:30 a.m. The in-house show will be live streamed all day
on The Big M’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The Racetrack Television Network (rtn.tv) will offer the Meadowlands’ in-house
presentation free from playmeadowlands.com
on Hambo Day.
The Television Games Network (tvg.com) will be onsite with commentary and showing
the races live. TVG is one of the most popular Advance-Deposit Wagering (ADW)
sites in the world.
The Hambletonian Oaks tops the
undercard and has a post time of 4:48 p.m. That event will be shown as part of
Fox Sports 2’s (FS2) “America’s Day at the Races” show, highlighting the
thoroughbred action from Saratoga on Whitney Day, which showcases one of the
best cards of the season in that sport. Post time for the Whitney is 5:48 p.m.
Meadowlands’ races will be featured between 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on the
telecast.
The CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) is
doing a Hambletonian retrospective and 2022 recap on Sunday, Aug. 21, from 5:30
p.m.-6:30 p.m.
The Central Ontario Standardbred
Association (COSA-TV) will have race day coverage from 3 p.m.-7:15 p.m. but
will take a break for 45 minutes, starting at 5:15 p.m., during which time they
will show the Big M simulcast feed.
DEEP POOLS: Management at The Big M is upping its
game for the big day, increasing its guaranteed pools from the usual $100,000
to $350,000. The first race 20-cent Pick-6 is guaranteed at $50,000; the third
race 20-cent Pick-5 has a $75,000 promise; the Early 50-cent Pick-4 that starts
with race eight is guaranteed to be $100,000, while the Late Pick-4 – which
begins in the 12th race – is guaranteed at $125,000.
The Late Pick-4 is one the fans are
sure to love. It begins with the Hambletonian Oaks, ends with the Hambletonian,
and has the Jim Doherty Memorial and John Cashman Memorial sandwiched in
between.
The Late 20-cent Pick-6 will start in
the 10th race and conclude with the Hambletonian. That wager, as
well as the Late 50-cent Pick-4 and 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 (which begins in
race five), has a mandatory payout.
LET ME TELL YOU A STORY: Some of the major Hambletonian Day
story lines include:
·
Is this one for the
girls? Jiggy Jog S
and Joviality S finished first and third, respectively, in the second
Hambletonian elimination last week. Can one of them join Ramona Hill and
Atlanta and become only the third filly in recent history to take home harness
racing’s greatest prize?
·
A three-pronged
attack: Atlanta,
Bella Bellini and When Dovescry, who combined have earned a staggering $6.5
million in their careers, go at it in the Steele Memorial. Bella Bellini wants
some revenge after seeing her four-race win streak come to an end at the hands
of Atlanta last week in the Miss Versatility.
·
It’s a family affair:
Lucas Wallin, the
29-year-old trainer of likely race favorite Rebuff, shoots for his first
Hambletonian win. He may have to sleep on the couch if that happens, as his
wife, Mikaela, is the caretaker of Joviality S. That filly’s trainer, Marcus
Melander, is Mikaela’s brother and Wallin’s brother-in-law. Thanksgiving Day
dinner could be rough.
·
Stretch explosion: Displaying an incredible final quarter
of :26.4, Warrawee Xenia came from way back to upset short-priced favorite
Fashion Schooner in the second of two Hambletonian Oaks eliminations. After
winning six straight races at her home track of Woodbine Mohawk Park, the Mark
Steacy trainee made it seven in her elim and hopes for a great eight in the
final.
·
Will the clock get
rocked? The
Meadowlands played host to the historic 1:45.4 mile put up by Bulldog Hanover
in the William Haughton Memorial on Meadowlands Pace Night, July 16. With the Bulldog
away, can his mark be lowered in the Sam McKee Memorial? One horse who has
shown he can go big miles is Rockyroad Hanover, who won a division of the Roll
With Joe on July 2 in 1:46.2, the same night Bulldog went 1:46. “Bulldog’s
1:45.4 mile came at 9:55 p.m.” said Settlemoir. “We all know that historically,
the track is faster during the day. If we get ideal conditions, you could see
history again.”
FULL MENU OF STAKES: These are the 10 stakes races that
will take place on Hambletonian Day: the $145,000 Steele Memorial, $337,000
Peter Haughton Memorial, $92,300 Shady Daisy, $275,000 Cane Pace, $173,000 Lady
Liberty, $278,000 McKee Memorial, $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, $355,000 Doherty
Memorial, $279,000 Cashman Memorial and $1,000,000 Hambletonian.
TALK ABOUT VALUE: It’ll cost you $5 to get in the door
on Saturday, but it’s well worth the half a sawbuck, as admission includes a
commemorative Hambletonian hat.
Gates open at 10 a.m.
Dining and seating options include a
Promenade Table ($300), Café Table ($100) or seating on the second floor in the
seating lounge.
For information and reservations,
call 201-THE-BIGM.
Hambo Day festivities include live
music in the Backyard by the Craig Sailer Project, carnival rides and games
throughout the Backyard, a Hambletonian Hat Contest, a FanZone tent with free
swag giveaways, a driver and trainer autograph session (from 10:30 a.m.-noon)
and many food trucks.
FREE PROGRAMS: Free past performances for every race
of every Meadowlands program are available 48 hours before a given card. To
access the no-cost official program pages, go to playmeadowlands.com.
EARLY BIRDS: Have plans on Hambo Day? Worry not,
you can get your action, as wagering on the entire Hambletonian Day card will
be available all day on Friday (Aug. 5).
NINE IS FINE: On the Hambletonian Day card, there
are eight opportunities for players to make a score, betting into huge pools
that feature a low 15 percent takeout. And because it’s a special day, they’ll
have an extra chance to hit big.
Here are the low takeout wagers that
will be offered:
·
Race 1: 20-cent Pick-6
·
Race 3: 20-cent Pick-5
·
Race 5: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7
·
Race 8: 50-cent Pick-4
·
Race 10: 20-cent Pick-6
·
Race 12: 50-cent Pick-4
·
Race 15: 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta
·
Race 16: 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta
·
The ninth low-takeout
bet that will be offered is the “Cross Country Pick-5”, a New York Racing
Association wager that has a 50-cent base bet and big payoff potential. The bet encompasses the following
races: Leg A – Race 12 at The Meadowlands; Leg B – Race nine at Saratoga; Leg C
– Race 10 at Saratoga; Leg D – Race 11 at Saratoga; Leg E – Race 15 at The
Meadowlands.
READ ALL ABOUT IT: For all things Hambletonian, check
out these websites: playmeadowlands.com,
harnessracingupdate.com, drf.com/harness, harnesslink.com and hambletonian.com.
GET ON TWITTER: 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), Brower (@eedoogie), Little (@DaveLittleBigM),
Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover) and Edison Hatter (@Edison_1999_).
MASTERMINDS $10,000 DRAWING SATURDAY:
Warkentin (Friday)
and Little (Saturday) were the winners last week in the Big M’s “Battle of the
Masterminds” handicapping contest, but this Saturday, the big winner could be
you.
On-track patrons can enter every live
racing night, selecting the handicapper they think will win that night’s
edition of the tournament. If that handicapper wins and that patron’s name is
drawn from the entry box, they win a $200 betting voucher plus a $50 gas gift
card.
That patron is then also entered into
the $10,000 grand prize drawing, which takes place on Hambletonian Day after
race 12. The nightly competition concludes Friday.
QUIT HORSING AROUND: The end of “Horseplay” is drawing
near, and one lucky person is going to drive away in a new car.
Patrons attending the live races at
The Meadowlands can participate for a chance to win a 2022 Toyota Corolla.
The contest takes place every live
racing night through Friday (Aug. 5). Participants will attempt to throw a
numbered horse into the window of a moving car. Of those that land inside the
vehicle, one winner will be chosen at random and receive a $100 betting
voucher.
Each night’s winner will be entered
into the grand prize drawing, which takes place on Friday (Aug. 5) after race
10. Guests can pick up a free horse to toss at the Players Club Desk or the
Horseplay table in front of the winner’s circle.
There is a bonus for the kids who are
at the track. The youngsters who help pick up the horses left on the track will
receive a free ice cream.
For every horse that makes it into
the Horseplay car, Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment will donate $5 to a
designated monthly charity. May’s charity was Act Now Foundation, June’s was
Bluemont Sanctuary and the July/August recipient is Allaire Community Farm. An
additional $5 for every horse that makes it into the car will also be donated
to the Purple Haze Standardbred Adoption Program.
TRATTERTONIAN FRIDAY: The Tratter Co. boys will go at it on
the track for a second time in the Tratter House Pace-Off Part Deux.
Nick Luciano, Blake Moore, Beau
Deatrick and Roy Dinges will get behind the gate Friday (Aug. 5) night after the
fourth race.
On July 15, Blake was the winner of
the half-mile dash, so Nick, Beau and Roy are out for revenge.
In addition, all four of the social
media stars will host a meet and greet in the Harness Racing Fan Zone tent on
Saturday (Aug. 6).
For further information, go to https://playmeadowlands.com/event/tratter-co-pace-off/
CASINO & POKER NIGHT: On Friday (Aug. 5), The Standardbred
Retirement Foundation and the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame present
Hambletonian Charity Casino Night at The Meadowlands.
There will be a poker tournament,
table games, a silent auction and more.
Tickets are priced at $75 (casino
guest) and $150 (exact special).
Things will kick off at 6:30 p.m.
with dinner and an open bar as casino tables open. Then, at 7:15 p.m., the
poker tournament begins with a $150 buy-in (equal to $3,000 in chips). There is
a grand prize of a trip for two to Las Vegas with cash prizes for second and
third.
At 9:15 p.m., the silent auction
concludes as casino tables close before the clock strikes 9:30 p.m., when the
bar closes and raffle winners are drawn.
For complete information, go to https://playmeadowlands.com/event/hambletonian-charity-casino-poker-night/
MORE RACING: There'll be an extra day of racing
during this, the final week of the Championship Meet.
The extra day of racing is Thursday
(Aug. 4), when post time will be 6:20 p.m.
Then, racing will conclude for the
meeting after live race cards on Friday (Aug. 5, post time 6:20 p.m.) and
Saturday (Aug. 6, post time noon).
After the Hambletonian Day card
concludes, there will be no live racing at The Meadowlands until Sept. 1.
STOP IN AT “THE BOOK”: To get your action on Major League
Baseball – and just about anything else – don’t forget to stop in to the
FanDuel Sportsbook, which is located inside the grandstand at The Meadowlands.
Before you get your bets down, go to https://www.fanduel.com/sportsbook-meadowlands for
up-to-dates lines on any sporting event the book offers.
The sportsbook is open for business
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.
