The best bet in harness racing has been even better for Meadowlands bettors in the month of June.

The Meadowlands Pick 4 on Saturdays normally comes with a $75,000 guaranteed pool total. But for the last two Saturdays in June, wagering in the Pick 4 has fallen short of the $75,000 guaranteed amount, resulting in extra money being added to the Pick 4 pools.

On Saturday, June 16 $65,801 was wagered in the Pick 4 and on Saturday, June 23 $68,196 was wagered. Both Saturdays the difference was made up by the Meadowlands Racetrack and the USTA Strategic Wagering Program.

“The last two weeks have presented a great opportunity for Meadowlands bettors,” said Meadowlands Director of Racing Operations Alex Dadoyan. “In the first week you had a situation where $65,000 was bet and after takeout $63,750 was paid out, so due to the added money, the effective takeout on the Pick 4 that night was less than two per cent. That’s great value for our bettors.”

In all likelihood, the $75,000 Pick 4 guarantee will not be reached again this Saturday, June 30.

“With most of the regular Meadowlands drivers out of town for one more week, there’s a good chance we’ll miss the guarantee again on Saturday,” Dadoyan said. “But it’s something we wanted to continue. This is the type of situation where our regular bettors can benefit and that’s important too as we continue to try and attract new fans on track.”

Starting in July, business should really pick up in the Meadowlands Pick 4 wager. With all of the regular Meadowlands drivers back in town and the stakes season in full swing, the Meadowlands will raise the Saturday Pick 4 guaranteed pools to $100,000 through Hambletonian Day.

For the 2012 racing season, the Meadowlands Pick 4 pool has averaged $76,749, down slightly from the $80,688 average in 2011. The average payoff this year is $2,990, up nearly 50 per cent from the 2011 average payoff of $2,099.

The Meadowlands Pick 4 is a $1 base wager on races six through nine nightly. It has a $50,000 guaranteed pool on Thursdays, a $50,000 guaranteed pool on Fridays and a $75,000 guaranteed pool on Saturdays in June and a $100,000 guaranteed pool on Saturdays in July.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)