For the first time since closing night of the 2010 Championship meet, the Meadowlands Racetrack total handle on a Friday night card surpassed $3 million.

In addition, in just 14 days of racing thus far in 2013, The Meadowlands surpassed a mark that took 80 racing days in 2012. Tonight marked the fourth $3 million handle of the young meet. In 2012, that plateau was only reached on three occasions, the third of which did not occur until Hambletonian Day. The total handle of $3,102,714 was an increase of 28 per cent over the $2,422,625 wagered on this same Friday in 2012.

On the racetrack, it was “Miller Time” once again. Dave Miller won three races on the card, extending his lead in the driver standings early on in the year. One of his wins came with Real Babe, who was often referred to as the “other three-year-old filly” in Ray Schnittker’s stable last year, playing second fiddle to the brilliant Check Me Out. Now in the barn of Mark Harder, Real Babe seems to be thriving as a four-year-old, earning back-to-back wins, in consecutive lifetime marks. Harder’s hot start to the meet continued with a training double as he scored earlier in the card with Southwind Jazmin. Harder has nine wins already on the year at The Meadowlands -- four of which with his newly named January Horse Of The Month, Golden Receiver.

Racing continues on Saturday at the Meadowlands with a big 13-race program, kicking off at 7:15 p.m. Saturday’s card features the best bet in harness racing, the $75,000 guaranteed Late Pick 4.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Meadowlands Racetrack.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)