Meadowlands: Can-Am Pick 4 returns Saturday
The popular Can-Am Pick-4 – which links up two races from the top harness venues in the game – resumes Saturday night and will be offered every Saturday thereafter. During 2019, pools for the wager that is comprised of two races from the Meadowlands and two from Woodbine Mohawk Park averaged better than $50,000. It has a 20-cent base and a low 15 percent takeout.
Expert selections for the CAP4 will be offered by the TV teams of both tracks on their respective simulcast signals.
Effective immediately, racing reverts to the usual two programs per week schedule of Friday and Saturday, with a first-race post time of 7:15 p.m. (The next live Thursday card takes place on July 16.)
The action figures to be hot and heavy for the second week of racing in 2020, as both cards will offer 14 races. Of the 28 races, 24 will offer full 10-horse fields, three will have nine participants while one will have eight at the gate.
Last weekend (Jan. 3-4) saw the magic $3-million plateau reached on Friday ($3,069,967), while, despite bad weather, Saturday still saw strong play ($2,744,766).
The year 2019 was a good one for business at the Big M, with total handle up $44.5 million over 2018. “We had a great year during 2019 due to several factors,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “First, all of us at the Meadowlands are so appreciative of the purse appropriation earmarked for the horse racing industry that was approved by New Jersey legislators, Gov. Phil Murphy, President of the New Jersey Senate Stephen Sweeney and Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly Craig Coughlin.
“Second, with that money in our purse account, it created more of a level playing field in the competition for horses from nearby states. Third, combine that with the great support our horsemen have given to our entry box, it’s creates an environment of big fields and competitive racing, which our faithful fans – who we could not do without – go for in a big way.”
-edited release (Meadowlands)