Meadowlands: Two 18-race cards and a new wagering menu this weekend
Horsemen sent up a signal. They needed some help. And management at the Meadowlands answered the call.
After last week's overloaded entry box saw 777 horses hoping to get raced, many had to continue to wait on the sidelines in the wake of the coronavirus shutdown. Two days ago, the box had over 600 horses drop in, hoping for a chance. What was different this time around, was that instead of the usual 26 races on the condition sheet, the Big M race office – at the urging of track Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Jeff Gural – will have 36 this weekend, with gigantic 18-race programs this Friday and Saturday that have a special first-race post time of 6 p.m.
"We made a concerted effort to get as many horses raced as possible, which will get much-needed purse money to as many connections as possible," said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. "Horsemen need racetracks and racetracks need horsemen, so with neighboring states still not racing, we felt it was the right thing to do to increase the number of races by 39 percent over the upcoming weekend.
"Of course, we are happy to give our fans as many opportunities to play the races as possible, but this move is more with horsemen in mind. They have been waiting so patiently to get back to work and we wanted to give them as much opportunity as we possibly could."
COME OUT TO PLAY: There will be an expanded wagering menu offering an increased number of the more popular Big M puzzles this Friday and Saturday.
The Meadowlands' "Big Four" bets will increase to a "Big Six" this weekend, as there will be an additional 50-cent Pick-4 and 20-cent Pick-5. Here is when the track’s most popular multi-leg wagers will be offered. All will have a low 15 percent takeout:
Pick-4s will be offered on races 6-9, 10-13 and 15-18
Pick-5s will be offered on races 1-5 and 14-18
The 20-cent Pick-6 will be offered on races 4-9
The remainder of the menu will look like this:
Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta will be available on every race
Pick-Threes will begin in races 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 16
Daily Doubles will be offered on races 1-2 and 17-18
Regular players of the 20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five will no doubt get involved in chasing a pair of big carryovers. In the fifth race, the pool will have a $50,358 head start, while in the 18th, the carryover stands at $59,763.
-edited release (Meadowlands)