The final huge weekend of harness racing during 2022 at The Meadowlands will kick off the day after Thanksgiving, Friday (Nov. 25), as 20-cent Pick-6 players will pump plenty of green into the pot that features a double carryover with a total pool guarantee of $100,000, which is offered in conjunction with the United States Trotting Association.
As if that weren’t enough, Saturday’s (Nov. 26) extraordinary racing program will showcase many of the sport’s biggest stars on “Fall Four/TVG Championship Night.”
The Pick-6 failed to yield a winning ticket on both Friday (Nov. 18) and Saturday (Nov. 19) last week, resulting in a carryover of $32,429, motivating Big M management to guarantee the six-figure Pick-6 pool. The wager will be offered beginning on race eight and free past performances for all Meadowlands’ races are always available by going to playmeadowlands.com.
“Last weekend, our Pick-4 carryover resulted in a total pool of over $300,000,” said track Jason Settlemoir, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “So, we know how popular our multi-leg wagers – which have a low 15 per cent takeout to begin with – can be when they have carryovers. All of us at The Meadowlands are looking forward to a big weekend, and what better way to get it going than with a big Pick-6 pool.”
As a bonus for Saturday night’s high-octane program, both Pick-4s will have an increased pool guarantee of $75,000.
When Friday’s 14-race card concludes, it will then be time for the main event.
Saturday’s program will also have 14 races, and the Fall Four/TVG Championship Night eight-pack – with purses totalling $2.7 million – will be contested one race after the other:
- Race 4 – $475,400 Goldsmith Maid (two-year-old filly trot): Bond, the Kindergarten and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion, will try to extend her winning streak to six for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.
- Race 5 – $416,200 Valley Victory (two-year-old colt and gelding trot): A fabulous threesome will go at it, as Garden State winner Celebrity Bambino, Peter Haughton Memorial champ Kilmister and Kindergarten valedictorian Volume Eight will try for a victory that could provide a divisional trophy.
- Race 6 – $140,000 TVG Mares Trot: Division leader Bella Bellini will faceoff with Atlanta, the 37-time winner who has earnings of more than $3.7 million. At race’s end, Atlanta, the co-fastest female trotter in history with a clocking of 1:49, will be retired in a winner’s circle ceremony.
- Race 7 – $428,400 Three Diamonds (two-year-old filly pace): Kindergarten winner Bellisima Hanover will try to up her winning streak to three in an evenly-matched event.
- Race 8 – $330,000 TVG Open Trot: Cutler Memorial and Breeders Crown winner Ecurie D DK will try to claim divisional honours by taking down the red-hot Its Academic, who has won the Meadowlands’ overnight feature the last two weeks in a row.
- Race 9 – $158,000 TVG Mares Pace: Defending U.S. Horse of the Year, the four-year-old Test Of Faith, takes on a pair of top notch three-year-olds, Treacherous Dragon and Niki Hill.
- Race 10 – $345,000 TVG Open Pace: Bulldog Hanover, likely to be the unanimous winner of the Horse of the Year trophy, will look to go out a winner at the track where he established the mark for the fastest mile in the history of the sport of 1:45.4. After the race, ‘Bulldog’ will be retired in a ceremony in The Big M winner’s circle.
- Race 11 – $430,000 Governor’s Cup (two-year-old colt and gelding pace): Stormalong and Combustion were the winners of last week’s eliminations. They take on Breeders Crown champ Ammo in a wide-open race.
There will be commemorative videos played during both Atlanta’s and Bulldog Hanover’s retirement ceremonies, and for those who come to the track early, they can grab a souvenir mug for both horses who will be heading for the breeding shed. Supplies are limited.
There will be a huge promotion offered on Saturday’s eight stakes events. For each race, there will be one winner of a free $5,000 win wager. You must be 18 or older to enter and there is only one entry per person. You must enter online.
Racing at The Big M will be conducted on a Friday-Saturday basis through the end of the year, with a first-race post time of 6:20 p.m. There are several exceptions on the schedule, as there will be no live racing on Dec. 23-24, and there is one Thursday night card on the schedule that will take place on Dec. 1.
Every live racing night, the “Racing from The Meadowlands” pregame show begins at 5:45 p.m. with news, notes and previews of the upcoming card.
(With files from Meadowlands)