It wasn’t late December back in ’63, but just last Saturday (July 15) when Meadowlands management, fans and horsepeople might have been heard singing “Oh, What a Night.”

Meadowlands Pace Night 2023 was filled with tremendous action from start to finish – both on the track and at the windows – and during a 14-race card where favourites failed 79 per cent of the time, two public choices turned in what were arguably the most impressive performances of the night.

First up was Sylvia Hanover, whose parked-out-at-every-call masterpiece in the $169,000 Mistletoe Shalee for three-year-old fillies on the pace gave the daughter of Always B Miki-Shyaway her 12th win from 13 career starts.

“What a Lady, what a night.”

The Mark Steacy-trained, Bob McClure-driven miss, who returned $3 to win as the 1-2 favourite, did this in what was her first start ever outside of Woodbine Mohawk Park, and, after a three-week layoff as well, since her score in the Fan Hanover at her home track in Campbellville, Ont.

In the $668,000 featured Meadowlands Pace for three-year-olds, Confederate delivered as an equally heavy public choice as his sister-event counterpart, stopping the teletimer in a lifetime-best 1:47 after powering up to the lead coverless around the far turn, before sprinting clear of his foes by 3-1/2 lengths. Did winning driver Tim Tetrick say: “I felt a rush like a rollin’ ball of thunder”? It’s unclear.

The win gave trainer Brett Pelling a record-extending fifth Big M Pace victory while Tetrick added a sixth Pace trophy to his mantle, meaning he is now just one behind John Campbell, whose seven Pace wins are still tops among drivers.

During the evening, a pair of heavily favoured 1-5 shots from the Ake Svanstedt stable tasted defeat for the first time in a long time, as Bond finished third in one of two divisions of the $105,250 Del Miller Memorial for three-year-old trotting fillies, ending her winning streak at nine, while Jiggy Jog S failed in her bid for a ninth straight score after getting gunned down by M Ms Dream in the $410,250 E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity.

“We had great performances all night long on Meadowlands Pace Night,” said Jason Settlemoir, Meadowlands Racetrack's Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “Exciting racing, full fields and unpredictable finishes led to a tremendous night of business.”

All-source wagering on the 14-race card totalled $5,672,535, the biggest number on Pace Night in 17 years, when wagering was just over $6 million in 2006.

Since 2009, only twice has betting busted the $5-million barrier, the other being 2020, when $5,051,261 was put in play.

The $5.6 million wagered Pace Night was an industry 2023 best and represented a 20 per cent increase over a year ago, when just over $4.7 million in action was taken.

Adding a third 50-cent Pick-4 to the betting menu proved to be a smart move, as the three Pick-4s took in action of just over $450,000, with the All-Stakes Pick-4, featuring The Meadowlands Pace as the payoff leg, took in $180,638.

“What happened on Saturday was the result of many factors coming together,” said Settlemoir. “Gov. [Phil] Murphy and the New Jersey State Legislature’s continued support of the horse racing industry in the Garden State is first and foremost. Handle on The Meadowlands has exploded since the Governor signed the appropriation bill in February of 2019, bringing enormous attention to New Jersey, and vaulting The Big M to become the most popular nighttime signal in North America, regardless of breed.

“Add in the support of our horsemen and top it off with our national telecasts on the networks of Fox Sports and you get a complete picture of how our success has come to pass. We are optimistic that we can keep this momentum through Hambletonian Day [on Aug. 5] and beyond.”

The $100 million appropriation that Gov. Murphy signed into law in 2019 creates a hard line between levels of action at The Big M.

Betting on the 2018 Meadowlands Pace was $536,305, while Saturday night, the total wager on the race was $821,356. The increase? A whopping 53 per cent.

Total action on the 2018 Pace Night card was $4,083,401, so Saturday’s handle represents an uptick of 39 per cent.

And what about the races shown live on Fox Sports 1 (FS1)?

The previous editions of the Hambletonian Oaks, Hambletonian and Meadowlands Pace had a total handle of $1,904,214.

The three most recent Oaks, Hambo and Pace, which were all shown live on the networks of Fox Sports, took in a total of $2,656,317, an increase of 39 per cent.

Another key to lengthening the Garden State’s harness racing lifeline is the renewed interest in breeding – thanks in part to the appropriation – and action on last Friday’s (July 14) program, when 12 of the 14 dashes were for two-year-old New Jersey Sire Stakes competitors.

As recently as 2017, the night before the Meadowlands Pace did less than $2 million in total handle. Last week, wagering topped $3 million despite many horses making their first-ever pari-mutuel starts.

“I can’t begin to tell you what an extraordinary number $3 million on our baby races is,” said Settlemoir. “Gov. Murphy and the N.J. State Legislature helped bring the world to New Jersey. Their efforts made the $8.6 million bet during Pace weekend a reality.”

The remaining schedule for when Meadowlands’ races will be shown on either FOX, FS1 or FS2 is as follows (with highlighted races):

• Saturday, Aug. 5 (FOX, 3-6 p.m.; FS2, 6-7 p.m.; Hambletonian – post time, 4:45 p.m., Hambletonian Oaks plus other stakes for total purses of $3.5 million)
• Sunday, Aug. 6 (Hambletonian replay show on CBS Sports Network, 2 p.m.)
• Friday, Sept. 8 (FS1, 9-11 p.m.; New Jersey Classic Series finals)

“All of us at The Meadowlands have been so pleased with the partnership we have with the TV crew at the New York Racing Association (NYRA),” said Settlemoir. “They, along with the team at Fox Sports, put out a first-rate product on a show that is normally seen, in large part, by a Thoroughbred-centric audience. These shows have helped us display our competitive harness races to a fan base who now might be more likely to follow harness racing in addition to the runners.”

On Saturday, July 29, the highlighted races on the Big M card will be eliminations for the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks and $1 million Hambletonian. Then, one week later, one of harness racing’s biggest days of the calendar year takes place on Hambletonian Day, Saturday, Aug. 5, with a special first-race post time of noon.

Doors at The Big M will open at 10 a.m. on Hambo Day. There is a $5 admission fee, but it includes a commemorative 98th Hambletonian baseball cap for adults and kids.

There are several options for Hambletonian Day seating and dining:

• $300 Promenade Table – seats four people and table purchase includes admission;
• $100 Cafe Table – seats four people and $100 is food credit for use at the Cafe (admission not included);
• Second Floor Lounge Seating – tables of two and four available along with a four-person couch. Purchase is beverage and food credit for Victory (admission not included).

Hambo Day festivities include live music in the Backyard, carnival rides and games throughout the Backyard, a Hambo Hat Contest (sign-up between 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Clubhouse Lobby) featuring prizes from $50-$500, a FanZone Tent with free swag giveaways all day and a driver and trainer autograph session from 10:30 a.m.-noon.

In addition, there will be food trucks doling out delicious eats all day long, with House of Cupcakes, Clyde’s Italian Ice and Ice Cream, Latin Bites, Chick Wings and Things, Cat Like Reflexes,  Beared One BBQ, Antojitos de mi Teirra and Hadez Food Truck among those expected to be on hand.

While fans enjoy their food, they will feast on these stakes events that will take place (purses are estimated) during the card: the $1-million Hambletonian, $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, $300,000 John Cashman Memorial, $275,000 Cane Pace, $275,000 Sam McKee Memorial, $175,000 Lady Liberty, $175,000 John R. Steele and $90,000 Shady Daisy.

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)