Meadowlands: Bartlett's brush with history falls two wins short
?q=100)
There were just three races to go on the Saturday (Jan. 4) night card at The Meadowlands, and the red-hot Jason Bartlett had already driven six of the first 11 winners on the program.
He didn’t have a drive in the 13th race, so if he were going to tie The Big M record of eight winners on a single program, he would have to be victorious in both the 12th and 14th dashes. He obviously had a shot, since both horses were morning-line second choices.
Bartlett’s Sweet Jeff IR was bet down to 3-5 in the 12th – no doubt in part due to how the night was going for the 43-year-old pilot – but after making the lead early then sitting off a backstretch duel, the odds-on favorite struggled, failing to keep up in the pocket before finishing last in the field of 10.
“I knew in the post parade he would be really good or really bad,” said Bartlett. “He was very keen the week before. I kind of had to walk him down the backside the other night. Something bad had to be going on with him for him to race that bad.”
Bugaboo Lou was the even-money second choice to 4-5 favorite Bobcat Bay in the finale, but “Bobcat” kept “Bugaboo” safely at bay after a stretch duel to keep Bartlett’s win total at a half-dozen.
“He’s a good horse who hasn’t been great recently,” said Bartlett. “I knew with his back class, I still thought he had a decent shot. He got a good trip and raced a lot better than he has been lately.”
So, the 13-time Yonkers Raceway driving champion finished with six victories.
Good stuff.
Only once during 2024 did a driver win six on a Big M card, with Dexter Dunn turning the trick on Hambletonian Day. Dunn’s six-bagger came on a 16-race card, Bartlett’s on a 14.
“I was aware of how many wins I had,” said Bartlett, who is just 34 victories shy of 11,000 lifetime. “And I knew how many shots I had left. I didn’t find out until after the races what the track record was when my wife, Kristen, told me.
“I kind of just take it race by race. When I get in the bike for the 14th race, it’s about the 14th race.”
Bartlett has been enjoying his Saturday soirees at the mile oval. And so have his fans.
On Dec. 7, the native of Maine won five times, becoming just the second driver during 2024 at The Big M to win five on a card twice (Yannick Gingras was the other) before taking four walks down victory lane on Dec. 28.
“I love the competition,” said Bartlett, who intends to continue his Saturday visits to East Rutherford. “Saturday nights at The Meadowlands worked out pretty well for me last year. I’ve never won more than eight races on a card [at Yonkers]. I’ve done it five or six times. Maybe I can do it at The Meadowlands.”
SUPER STATS: Last year, Bartlett finished second in North America in dash wins with 633 (Aaron Merriman led with 874, his 10th straight national crown) and third in money-earnings with $12.6 million (Dunn, $16.6 million; Gingras, $14.5 million).
For three consecutive years, beginning in 2022, Bartlett won over 600 races and earned in excess of $10 million.
EIGHT IS ENOUGH: The Meadowlands record of eight wins on a card is shared by Mike Lachance (July 14, 1995) and Brett Miller (Dec. 16, 2016).
7-7-7 FOR DUNN: The last three times a driver won seven races on a Big M card, Dexter Dunn was the man in the bike, accomplishing the feat on Jan. 11, 2020, June 18, 2021 and July 23, 2021.
SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS: Come on out to the track on Friday, Jan. 17, for the first of what will be a monthly handicapping contest with a prize pool of $1,000.
Contestants must be on-site to participate and the top two finishers earn a spot in a $10,000 invitation-only handicapping contest that takes place in December.
For complete information, and to enter, go here.
CIRCLE THE DATE: One of The Big M’s most popular giveaways takes place on Saturday, Jan. 18, with the track’s 2025 Calendar Giveaway, which is chock full of photos commemorating highlights of the 2024 season.
Starting at 6 p.m., the first 1,000 guests will receive a calendar. One per person, please.
-edited release (Meadowlands)