Meadowlands: Mini-meet to showcase New Jersey Classic series
Still basking in the glow of a highly successful Hambletonian Day, The Meadowlands returns from a three-week hiatus with a power-packed two-week “Mini Meet” that kicks off Friday (Sept. 1) and features the New Jersey Classic, with estimated purses totaling $2 million.
Racing will be conducted on Sept. 1st, 2nd 8th and 9th with a first-race post time of 6:20 p.m.
“The ‘Mini Meet’ provides us an opportunity to showcase the state of racing in New Jersey,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The New Jersey Classic series is another way – in addition to the resurgent New Jersey Sire Stakes program – for owners and horsemen to thrive while keeping their operations in the Garden State.”
The NJC – which is for 2- and 3-year-olds of each sex and gait – will have 11 eliminations on Friday and two more on Saturday before all eight divisions contest their respective finals next week.
A great example of how racing – and breeding – in New Jersey continues to flourish is the great mare trotter Fashion Schooner. During 2022, the daughter of Walner-Broadway Schooner, in addition to the Hambletonian Oaks, also won the $275,000 New Jersey Classic final and $240,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final. Thus, the Garden State races accounted for 40 percent of her total earnings that season of $684,937.
“The proof is there,” said Settlemoir. “The breeding industry in the State of New Jersey is back, and all of us at The Meadowlands couldn’t be happier about it.”
BOOMING BUSINESS: The Meadowlands has been knocking it out of the park all year long from a business perspective.
This season, a total of $203,794,252 has been wagered on Meadowlands’ races, good for an average per card of $3,234,829, a little more than $200,000 better than 2021, when average wagering topped $3 million for the first time during the “Jeff Gural Era”, which had its first full year in 2012.
The biggest day in harness racing was exactly that. Hambletonian Day handle established a new record in the 10-year history of the new grandstand at The Big M, as a total of $7,805,779 was pushed through the windows on the 16-race program, by far the biggest number on any North American harness program during 2023.
After betting from international outlets was added to the North American total, wagering on the Hambletonian Day card exceeded the $8-million mark.
Betting on The Hambletonian itself was up considerably from a year ago, as $1,099,034 was put in play on “America’s Classic Trotting Race”, a 12 percent increase over 2022.
FEELS SO WITHE-RITE: Back for a second tour of duty on what is a demanding task, James Witherite was recently named The Big M’s morning-line odds maker and program analyst.
“Things have a serendipitous way of coming full circle,” said Witherite, 37. “I enjoyed the challenge of setting the morning line at the Big M in 2016, and I very much look forward to getting that iron back in the fire. It's a puzzle – it keeps me sharp.”
Witherite, the editor of the United States Trotting Association's Hoof Beats magazine, is best known as a race caller, having served in that capacity at several tracks, including Harrah’s Philadelphia, Tioga Downs, Rosecroft Raceway and Beulah Park.
Witherite’s race reviews and selections are available 48 hours before a given race card. Head to The Meadowlands’ website (playmeadowlands.com), go to the “handicapping” tab, then click “race reviews.”
NATIONAL EXPOSURE: The New Jersey Classic Series finals will be in the national spotlight with a live telecast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) at 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8. Otten will provide the commentary.
-edited release (Meadowlands)