This past Saturday night, one lucky player cashed the jackpot Super Hi-Five in the last race at the Meadowlands Racetrack for over $173,000. The wager was placed through TVG by a bettor in Virginia. It was the second time during the current meet that a person took home over six figures on the Jackpot Super Hi-Five Wager.

Given that there are only 10 race dates remaining in the Meadowlands’ 2015 Championship Meet, rather than begin a new jackpot pool with only one month to build that pool, the Meadowlands has made some changes to its wagering format.

Beginning this Friday (July 10), the carryover pool for the fifth-race Jackpot Super Hi-5, which presently sits at $175,601.70, has been moved from the fifth race to the last race. Therefore, those customers looking to wager into the Jackpot Hi-Five Carryover pool can do so in the last race each racing card going forward. The pool will have a mandatory payout on Hambletonian Day, Saturday, August 8. The wager carries a 20-cent minimum and consists of an eight per cent takeout rate. If there is one winner, the entire jackpot pool pays out. If there is more than one winner, the wager pays out 75 per cent of the net pool of new money, with 25 per cent added to the jackpot carryover pool for the next live harness racing date.

Second, the fifth race will continue to offer a Super Hi-Five each night, but there will be no jackpot carryover pool. The pool will pay out each and every night and it will still carry an industry-low eight per cent takeout rate. It will be offered at the 20-cent minimum as well.

Lastly, the next two Saturday nights of racing, Meadowlands Pace elimination night and Meadowlands Pace night, will offer 14 races and will carry three Pick 4 wagers, with the newest edition covering Race 11 through Race 14 with a takeout of just 15 per cent. The late night Pick 4 pool will carry a $25,000 guarantee and will be offered at the 50-cent minimum.

Meadowlands Pace Night will see increases for the guaranteed pools on the Meadowlands’ multi-race mainstay wagers. The Pick 5, covering Race 1 through Race 5 and the Early Pick Four, covering Race 3 through Race 6, will carry $50,000 guaranteed pools. The Late Pick 4 pool, which covers Race 7 through Race 10, will carry a $100,000 guaranteed pool.

First-race post time for both this Friday (July 10) and Saturday (July 11) is 5:30 p.m. The early post time is due to a Taylor Swift concert at MetLife Stadium which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. A race was added to each program due to the early post and customers will have a little more time in between in each race as well. Despite the racing cards beginning nearly two hours earlier than usual, the racing programs will conclude around 10:30 p.m., which will allow customers attending the races at the Meadowlands to exit without traffic congestions as the Taylor Swift concert is scheduled to conclude at 11:30 p.m.

First-race post time will return to 7:15 p.m. the following weekend, Friday, July 17 and Meadowlands Pace Night, Saturday, July 18.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)