It was another good 48 hours for Meadowlands Racetrack players last weekend (January 26-27), as big pools led to big payouts over the two racing programs.

The Saturday night 13-race card saw a 2018-high total handle of $2,790,201 ($214,630 per race) pushed through the windows, highlighted by the track’s signature Pick 4 wager, which had a pool that topped $100,000 for the first time this year.

“Going into the 2018 season,” said track chief operating officer and general manager Jason Settlemoir, “our goals were getting the Pick 5 pools back to $50,000 and the Pick 4 pools back to $75,000. Last weekend, both Pick 5 pools surpassed $56,000 while the Pick 4s clocked in at $85,000 and $101,000, respectively. Our 20-Cent Jackpot Super High Five carryover heading into Friday is at $84,000. These large pools are obviously attracting all types of night-time players to the Meadowlands' signal.”

THE HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Pick 5 (Races 3 through 7), which is a wager with a 50-cent base, paid over $12,000 both nights
• Despite the fact that the ‘jackpot’ was not hit, the Late 20-Cent Jackpot Super High Five still returned $3,778 to Friday winners and $5,259 for those who had the correct combination Saturday
• Friday’s Pick 4 pool was $85,775, meaning that the average pool size for the wager over the weekend was $93,871
• Saturday night’s 20-Cent Survivor Pick 10 saw $19,196 in wagers, and the one lucky patron that hit it walked away with $16,312

“The new tax laws are helping the horse player immensely, which, of course, helps the Meadowlands,” said Settlemoir. “Friday night, one of the Pick 5 winners was in Chicago. The cost of the ticket was $54. Last year, there would have been over $3,000 withheld under the old tax laws. This year, the winner got the entire $12,000. This keeps more money in the horseplayer’s pocket and that is one of the reasons – along with the 15 per cent takeout and bigger payouts – that you see these pools getting huge again at the Meadowlands.”

Free program pages for the Pick 4, courtesy of Track Master, are available on the Meadowlands' website (playmeadowlands.com) and on the handicapping section at ustrotting.com.

LIVE SHOW RETURNS: ‘Meadowlands Harness Live’ returns from a one-week hiatus this Friday, when the one-hour presentation will be seen on SportsNet New York (SNY) beginning at 9 p.m.

The program will showcase three live races, including the payoff leg of the Pick 5 as well as the first two legs of the Pick 4.

Big M odds maker and program analyst Dave Brower will be back in the host’s chair. Alongside Brower offering colour commentary will be Dave Little, the former longtime racing writer at the New York Daily News. Communicators Hall of Famer Bob ‘Hollywood’ Heyden will be in his usual role, giving out handicapping tips and conducting interviews.

Racing resumes at the Meadowlands Friday night at 6:35 p.m.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)