Meadowlands: Handle exceeds $4 million on Saturday

The Meadowlands faithful were given plenty of opportunity, and they took advantage by betting with both hands throughout Saturday night's 18-race program. When the dust cleared, wagering totaled $4,100,386, the highest for a non-Hambletonian Day or Meadowlands Pace Night in memory.

In fact, other than the $6,501,778 wagered on Hambletonian Day 2019, the only other $4-million handle last year was on Meadowlands Pace Night, when a total of $4,044,303 was pushed through the windows.

Wagering was steady throughout Saturday's card, with the $300,000 barrier busted only once (on the third race). There were two other races on the card that saw betting of at least $290,000.

The tally for the weekend was impressive, as a total of $7,582,203 was wagered on the 36 races, good for an average per race of $210,616.

'ANGEL' BEDEVILS FOES

Guardian Angel As was a dominant winner in the co-feature on the Saturday card, the Preferred for trotters.

The 6-year-old son of Archangel-Provide As never had an anxious moment scoring as the 3-5 public choice. After Obrigado took the field past the quarter in a snappy 26 2/5, driver Tim Tetrick moved the Anette Lorentzon trainee to the top soon thereafter.

A rated middle half of 56 4/5 saw Guardian Angel As open up what would turn out to be an insurmountable 2 1/2-length lead at the head of the stretch on the way to a sparkling 4 1/4-length triumph over JL Cruze in a lifetime-best 1:50 1/5. Phaetosive was third.

Guardian Angel As ($3.20 to win), who earned $798,294 a year ago during a campaign that was highlighted by a win over Atlanta in the Maple Leaf Trot, now has 24 career victories from 58 starts and a bank account that stands at $1,328,540 for owners ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson.

GEEZ, JOE SCORES

Geez Joe benefitted from a patient Marcus Miller drive and some racing luck to win the co-featured Preferred for pacers in 1:48 1/5.

Trapped at the rail sitting in the four-hole in sixth place, Miller found some space coming off the far turn, and once clear, sprinted past Sintra nearing the wire to record a three-quarter-length score, upping his lifetime stats to 22 wins in 68 starts, with earnings of $294,120 for trainer Erv Miller and owners Bay Pond Racing Stable. Geez Joe, whose lifetime mark is 1:47 4/5, paid $10.60 as the third choice in the wagering.

HOT STUFF

Trainers Ray Schnittker and Shane Tritton are raising eyebrows in the first few weeks back since the coronavirus shutdown.

Schnittker has a pair of impressive 3-year-old pacing males who figure to be heard from as the stakes season comes into focus. His Captain Groovy (Captaintreacherous-Lets Groove Tonite) made it two straight Meadowlands wins when he stopped the clock in 1:48 for driver Mark MacDonald. The time was just a tick off the fastest mile of the year in the sport.

Splash Brother completed the Schnittker parlay by scoring in 1:48 2/5. The gelded son of So Surreal-Sugarcoated made the lead from the 10-hole at the quarter in 27 3/5 and sailed down the road with Tyler Buter calling the shots.

Tritton, the champion Down Under trainer who has relocated to the States, kept his red-hot barn rolling, scoring with 8-year-old gelding Lespndnitetogeta N (Washington Vc-The Moth) in 1:51 and 11-year-old horse Flaming Flutter N (Bettor’s Delight-Twice As Hot N), who won his North American debut from post nine in 1:49 1/5. Both were driven by Jordan Stratton.

A LITTLE MORE: The clock got rocked all night Saturday, as eight of the 17 pacing events went in sub-1:50. Stratton and Tetrick led the way in the driver's colony with three wins apiece. The 20-cent Pick-6 resulted in a carryover of $8,948 for the next racing program. Racing resumes Friday at 7:15 p.m.

-edited release (Dave Little for Meadowlands)