Meadowlands: FanDuel named presenting sponsor of 100th Hambletonian

The $1-million Hambletonian, America’s premier trotting race, will celebrate its 100th edition on Saturday, Aug. 2, at Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, NJ. FanDuel, the largest advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platform in the United States, will serve as the presenting sponsor for the milestone event.

The 100th Hambletonian, presented by FanDuel, will headline a stakes-loaded race card and be nationally televised on FOX Sports and CBS Sports Network.

First contested in 1926, the Hambletonian was created by the Hambletonian Society to promote the Standardbred trotting breed. Over the past century, it has endured through rain delays, economic shifts, venue changes, world wars and a global pandemic to consistently crown the champion trotter of the year.

FanDuel, a dominant force in New Jersey’s sports-wagering landscape, owns and operates FanDuel TV, a channel synonymous with delivering racing excellence for the past quarter century, and the FanDuel Sportsbook at the Meadowlands – the top-performing sportsbook in North America.

“It’s only fitting that the track’s two biggest partners team up for the 100th anniversary of the Hambletonian,” said Meadowlands Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “New Jersey’s No. 1 sportsbook partnering with the world’s No. 1 trotting race is a match made in wagering heaven.”

The Hambletonian has been hosted by The Meadowlands since 1981, the longest-running venue for the sought-after event. New Jersey is also a pioneer state for sports wagering, with a victorious 2018 legislative battle ending the ban on sports betting, opening a new frontier for the Meadowlands Racing and Gaming/FanDuel partnership, both the premier organizations in their respective brands.

“We are proud to be able to celebrate the 100th edition of the Hambletonian with the Meadowlands and FanDuel,” said Hambletonian Society President and Chief Executive Officer John Campbell. “The Hambletonian has only grown in purse, prestige and stature since the move to the Meadowlands in 1981, and this will be the biggest event to date.”

Hambletonian Day at The Meadowlands is consistently the highest-handling event in harness racing, generating more than $107 million in single-day wagering since 2010. This year’s 100th celebration will feature a Hambletonian Homecoming Party, autograph sessions by alumni and today’s racetrack stars, appearances by past Hambletonian winners, a commemorative book, memorabilia displays and much more.

FanDuel will be the presenting sponsor of the Hambletonian Winter Book Favorites, the FanDuel Road to the Hambletonian and the 100th Hambletonian broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

-release (Hambletonian Society)