If carryovers are great, then double carryovers are twice as nice, and a double carryover is exactly what Meadowlands players will be shooting for when racing resumes Friday (Dec. 20) at 6:20 p.m. There were no winning tickets sold last weekend (Dec. 13-14) on the 20-cent Pick-6, meaning that a double carryover of $15,667 will be up for grabs Friday night when the wager takes place on races eight through 13. A carryover of this size can make some serious noise. For example, here are the numbers should the total pool be $60,000: Carryover: $15,667 New money: $44,333 Final pool: $60,000 Takeout on new money: $6,650 Net pool: $53,350 Surplus: $9,017 Return: If the wager is hit, the return to players with winning tickets will be 120 percent, a remarkably high “negative takeout” If the response is overwhelming and new money were to total $100,000, there is still a big enough carryover to cover the low 15 percent rake, leaving bettors swimming in a negative pool. “These are the types of opportunities our players live for,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “When you combine a low takeout with a big carryover, you get a scenario which brings the players out to play in a big way. In addition, we have been able to maintain carding our programs with full 10-horse fields, something else our customers really appreciate.” Remarkably, there are 14 races scheduled for both Friday and Saturday, and all 28 dashes will have 10 horses in behind the gate, removing the need to figure out what the average field size will be (in the event there are no scratches). “Our race office does a great job of interacting with our horsemen to provide the type of betting opportunities that exist here at The Big M,” said Settlemoir. “Every winter, we try to deliver big fields for the player, and, for a vast majority of the races, we have been able to do just that.” JUST FOUR TO GO: There are just four programs remaining on The Meadowlands’ 2024 calendar. Live racing will take place this week and next on the usual Friday and Saturday evenings at the usual post time of 6:20 p.m. A HOLIDAY MESSAGE: “On behalf of Jeff and Paula Gural, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of our employees, owners and horsemen a very happy holiday season,” said Settlemoir. “And, of course, I’d like to thank our fans – both on- and off-track – who consistently wager on our product, which is a major factor in our being the No. 1 harness track in the world. Without them, we would not be where we are on the harness racing landscape.” WILL ‘RUTHLESS’ GET REVENGE? Last week, Ruthless Hanover, the standout speedball from the Tom Cancelliere barn, got nailed in deep stretch as the 2-5 favorite by the Jeff Cullipher-trained Spring Inhis Step A. ‘Ruthless’ will look to get back on the winning track in the Saturday night feature, the $40,000 Preferred Handicap for pacers, which is the 10th race on the card. In addition to the top two finishers in the race from last week, the field also includes third-place finisher Maximus Miki (another Cancelliere student), as well as South Beach Star (who scratched last week) and Humble A, an Australian invader who has won all seven of his North American starts this year. Humble A will be making his first start of 2024 at a track other than Yonkers Raceway. MUCH APPRECIATED: On Saturday, Dec. 28, head to The Meadowlands for Fan Appreciation Night. “We’d like to thank our fans for a fantastic year,” said Settlemoir. “And while we are extremely appreciative of our players who bet us on the various simulcast networks, we like letting our on-track faithful know that we love it when they are inside the building.” There will be discounted concessions offered from 6-11 p.m. that night. For just $1 in the Cafe, one can purchase hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn and soda. Bud and Bud Light draft, also available at the Café, will be just $2. -edited release (Meadowlands)