Meadowlands: GSY Club races producing strong handle; Pick 6 carryover on Friday

The Gural Settlemoir Yarock Amateur Driving Club (GSY) has been a Friday night staple of late at The Meadowlands. Having the GSY races on the card -- there are three this week and have been three for the last several weeks -- provides a different look for racing fans. The GSY participants bring an energy that is not seen on a day-in, day-out basis by the "regular" driving colony.

"All of the GSY contestants think every Friday at The Meadowlands is their Grand Circuit," said Meadowlands' Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. "The GSY races have been averaging better than $231,000 [in handle] per race thus far in March. The racing is hotly contested -- usually with a 10-horse field -- and the results are anything but chalky.

"When you see the connections celebrating in the winner's circle like they had just won a Grand Circuit event, you understand how much everyone wants to win these races. Full fields and great payouts are a big reason why the GSY events are so well-supported by the wagering public."

So why is interest in the GSY so high?

The answer is the same as other questions when it comes to racing at The Meadowlands: Big pools and big fields.

It may come as a surprise to some racing fans when they find out how well GSY races are received, with handle that exceeds many races at any harness venue anywhere.

Bettors want big pools and big fields, and the GSY delivers. On Friday, March 4, the three GSY races -- all of which saw 10 behind the starting gate -- took in a total of $651,641, an average per race of just over $217,000. Despite two winning favorites, those cashing in had big smiles on their faces when they collected $406.40, $137.40 and $724.20 for winning Trifecta tickets.

One week later, on March 11, it was more of the same, as three 10-horse fields saw $737,604 put in play, good for an average of more than $245,000 per dash. The winning Trifectas -- which saw just one lukewarm winning chalk -- came back $1,084.40, $5,921.20 and $432.40.

For some perspective, when the average per race is $245,000 for a 13-race card, total handle is $3.1 million.

For the six March GSY races, the average Exacta payout is $151.40, while the Trifecta is at $829.20.

► GET A 5% REBATE ON EXOTIC BETS AT THE MEADOWLANDS

The GSY also gives back to the harness racing community.

"Our charitable pursuit started out as a scholarship fund for people in the harness industry," said GSY President David Yarock. "But over the last two years -- because of COVID-19 -- I've turned the charity over to equine outreach. We have a farm in the Catskill Mountains near Monticello Raceway where we have horses that we've rescued. People who could benefit from being around these horses, such as veterans with PTSD, can benefit from that type of interaction, and we are happy to provide a place for both the horses and the people who would like to be with them."

For anybody interested, they can get more information by going to equineoutreachfund.org.

Immediately after the GSY races are over, of course!

PICK-6 CARRYOVER: There were no winning tickets sold in the 20-cent Pick-6 Saturday (March 12) night, creating a carryover of $10,303 when racing resumes Friday.

The Pick-6 begins with race eight on the card. The last Pick-6 carryover was on March 5, when a modest $7,215 led to a total pool of over $58,000.

-edited release (Meadowlands)