Meadowlands: Post time switch helping handle

Since the start of 2021, The Meadowlands has been experimenting with an earlier-than-usual post time of 6 p.m. and the undertaking has proven extremely successful over the first eight weeks of the year.

"The idea was, during the COVID-19 era, people were not staying up late," said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. "And shifting players' attention from the late-night races [that take place from 11 p.m.-midnight] and moving those eyes to the hour from 6-7 p.m. was worth trying. The early post time created a new dynamic, starting with our pre-game show, which gets underway at 5:27 p.m."

On a typical weekend, after the Gulfstream Park races end, the Late Pick-4 at Santa Anita and The Meadowlands' 20-cent Pick-5 kick off the nighttime action for both Harness and Thoroughbred players around the world.

"As a result," said Settlemoir, "the top Thoroughbred hubs wagered 45 percent more on The Meadowlands last Saturday (Feb. 20) than they did as compared to the comparable Saturday in 2020."

Last week, The Big M's streak of betting at least $3.4 million on Saturdays stayed intact, as action has exceeded that number on all eight occasions in 2021. Last Saturday's all-source total of $3,871,820 -- an increase of $1.1 million over the comparable card from last year -- was the fifth-highest night of business this year. The per race average was $258,121. The lofty $3.8-million figure was reached three times during all of 2020.

The Big M's signature wager, the 50-cent Pick-4, has seen the most prolific pools of the season, with an average of $94,857 in total action each the time wager takes place, which is twice a night, beginning nightly in the sixth and 10th races, respectively.

The 20-cent Pick-5 -- which averages $88,540 in total play -- always gets the night off to a good start in the first race. The last two Saturdays were right on the number as $88,541 (Feb. 20) and $86,011 (Feb. 13) were wagered, respectively, serving as the catalyst for superb race one overall total pools of $389,159 and $367,134, respectively.

"The Meadowlands has made an increased effort to keep the horseplayer in action longer with low-takeout and low-minimum bets," said Settlemoir. "The player response has been sensational, resulting in the largest pools we have seen in over a decade. The larger players can now freely bet larger amounts, knowing the pools are big enough to play into, fueled by average field size, which is at 9.56.

"The early post has exposed more Thoroughbred players to The Meadowlands signal. This new dynamic has created an average handle of $3,455,779 per night, far surpassing every nighttime signal of any breed in North America."

-edited release (Meadowlands)