Meadowlands: Handle strong in recent weeks

It was going to be difficult to match the excitement and bettor enthusiasm of Saturday, Jan. 2 at The Meadowlands when a $46,731 carryover and $150,000 guarantee led to a total 20-cent Pick-5 pool of $360,948.

Last Saturday (Jan. 9), there was no carryover off which the Pick-5 pool could build, so track management and The Standardbred Owners Association of New Jersey got together to 'seed' the pool with $25,000 and give it a $100,000 promise.

What resulted was a total pool of nearly $200,000 that for a second consecutive Saturday served as the catalyst for what was a huge night of betting at The Big M.

"What a start to the year," said Meadowlands' Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. "Last week's 20-cent Pick-5 was seeded with an extra $25,000. The 'new money' of $170,758 brought the total pool to $195,758, and the winning payout was $25,057 for each 20-cent winning ticket.

"The $25,000 seeding was our way to thank the horseplayers for their enormous support of The Meadowlands. Their wagering has made The Big M the most popular nighttime signal of any breed in horse racing, with our Saturday Winter Meet handle averaging over $4 million. The Meadowlands remains an industry leader in lowering takeout and offers six player-friendly wagers with an extremely low 15 percent takeout every night. We are abundantly grateful to horseplayers around the world for their business."

Speaking of business, the last three Saturdays have seen plenty, with big increases over the corresponding cards from the year before. The total handle on Dec. 26, 2020 was $3,718,250, which was $800,000 more than the Saturday after Christmas 2019.

Jan. 2 of this year saw a gigantic $4,562,477 of action, an increase of $1.8 million, while $3,646,603 was put in play on Jan. 9, an increase of almost $1.1 million.

As usual, Pick-4 play was vigorous, as last Saturday saw the two pools combine for just over $180,000, an average of $90,000 per wager.

"It's been an enormous month for Strategic Wagering and the United States Trotting Association," said Settlemoir. "This is the 11th year for the Strategic Wagering arm of the USTA. It offers low takeout wagers, free program pages, carryover Information and guaranteed pools. Strategic Wagering has increased interest in harness racing and has been a big part of the wagering resurgence you see on a nightly basis, and The Meadowlands is proud to be a part of this initiative."

-edited release (Meadowlands)