Meadowlands: Wagering changes for the bettor on Hambletonian Day

In the classic 1941 movie "The Maltese Falcon", Sam Spade, played brilliantly by Humphrey Bogart, utters the line "The stuff that dreams are made of."

Maybe Bogie was talking about Hambletonian Day, because that's exactly how owners, trainers, drivers and fans of the game feel on the first Saturday in August when they experience all there is to experience on harness racing's biggest day.

Bettors? Well, they've been dreaming about this day, too.

"The challenge for the team at The Meadowlands," said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir, "was to create a wagering menu that is worthy of the greatest day in harness racing. Giving horseplayers low takeouts and a plethora of real opportunities to make scores. This will create a high level of not only North American excitement, but International excitement as well on our biggest day."

The Hambletonian Day card takes place on Saturday (August 7) and is the final program of The Championship Meeting, which has been conducted in honor of the Big M's late, great, longtime racing secretary Joe DeFrank. Post time is noon. The stakes-laden card offers purses totaling $3.6 million.

Free Harness Eye past performances and a special 5% rebate on exotic wagers can be found here.

The wagering will be fast and furious on the 16-race extravaganza, with only one wager, the Trifecta, having a takeout greater than 20 percent. There will be a total of nine bets with a low 15 percent takeout, including the track's most popular puzzle, the 50-cent Pick-4. That wager will offer a $75,000 guaranteed pool on races 8 through 11 and offer a $125,000 promise on races 12 through 15. Races 14 and 15 are the Hambletonian Oaks and Hambletonian, respectively.

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The 20-cent Pick-6 has been a hit with bettors all meeting long, so Big M fans will be able to double their fun on Saturday when the wager is offered on both races 1 through 6 and 10 through 15.

Twenty-cent Pick-5 players will have to alter their plans a bit. That bet, which usually begins in race one, will span races 3 through 7 on Saturday.

The 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 will be offered later than usual, as it will get underway in race 5.

Offering some extra opportunities to make a hit will be the 10-cent Pentafecta/Hi-5, which will be offered three times, on races 14, 15 and 16.

There will be 10-cent Superfectas on every race, and, on the Hambletonian Oaks and Hambletonian, there will be a special daily double wager.

Because it is the last day of the meeting, there will be mandatory payouts for the Pick-5 (race 3), Pick-7 (race 5), Pick-6 (race 10), Pick-4 (race 12) and Pentafecta/Hi-5 (race 16).

"Mr. [Jeff] Gural and I have said this on many occasions," said Settlemoir, "any formula to reinvent The Meadowlands must include improved wagering opportunities for the horseplayers. As handle grows, the track, the horsemen, the State and our simulcast partners grow with us.

"Lowering takeouts and increasing pool size are important as they create value for the horseplayer. Combine a solid wagering menu and low takeouts with great racing and full fields, and you have The Meadowlands' successful 2021 season, where average handle has exploded to well over $3 million per night."

HOW TO WATCH: For those who can't make it out to the track, there will be plenty of outlets showing all or part of the Hambletonian Day card.

The CBS Sports Network will air the Hambletonian Oaks and Hambletonian live from 5:30-6:30 p.m. with Greg Blanchard serving as host. The voice of The Big M, Ken Warkentin, will be calling his 22nd Hambletonian.

Fox Sports 2 will cut in from its live presentation of racing from Saratoga to show The Hambletonian. The Big M TV team of Dave Brower and Dave Little will be on-set with Jessica Otten and Gabe Prewitt providing features and interviews.

The Meadowlands Facebook page (facebook.com/meadowlandsracetrack) and YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/MeadowlandsRacetrack) will show the entire race card live, as will the Roberts Television Network (rtn.tv).

READ ALL ABOUT IT: For all things Hambletonian on the internet, check out these websites: playmeadowlands.com (The Meadowlands), hambletonian.com (Hambletonian Society), ustrotting.com (United States Trotting Association) and drf.com/harness (DRF Harness).

-edited release (Meadowlands)