It was the 15th race last on Saturday, May 23 night, and John Skladany was going to go for it.
The 55-year-old Meadowlands regular, who plays in the track’s $1,000 USD Monthly Handicapping Contest every time it’s offered, made a big bet on a horse who was risky, to say the least.
But an $820 USD hit later, Skladany’s wager had paid off, giving him a win in the competition.
“I've been playing the horses probably for 30 years,” said the Parsippany, New Jersey native. “I’ve been coming to The Big M regularly since graduating high school in 1989.”
The first-time winner had done his homework before his Saturday score.
“I've been close to winning a couple of times, but never was the winner until Saturday night,” said Skladany.
The winning wager came on Trillion Times, a 3-1 shot who had gone off stride in each of his last three starts.
“We did notice that Jason Bartlett was interviewed earlier in the night and made it clear it might be tough to keep the horse flat,” said Skladany. “But we like to go back and look at the replays and one of his races over at Pocono, he raced pretty well, even though he broke. So, I was playing him in the final race no matter what.”
When asked if he thinks he’s a better contest strategist or handicapper, Skladany said, “I think I’m a handicapper more than a strategist because it's easier for me to go after the guy in front of me as opposed to if I was on top. If I was on top, I would probably have blown my bankroll because I would not sit back and look to lose, I would try to win, and I would probably, you know, pick the wrong horse.”
Skladany turned his $100 USD into $1,031 USD last Saturday, while second-place finisher James Molina finished with $800 USD.
For finishing in the top two, Skladany and Molina have both qualified for the $10,000 USD contest final on Dec. 12. It is restricted to the top two finishers from the 11 preliminaries, meaning just 22 players will go for the big green. First prize is $5,000 USD.
“I’m looking forward to the $10,000 contest a lot because I had talked to Sean [Loebs, who won the final last year], and it was funny, because we talked and I thought he had a really good shot to win it. And now that I'll be competing with him in that contest, it should be pretty interesting.”
But until then, you can catch Skladany in the same place as always, in the bar area one escalator ride up from the first floor by the main entrance.
“I literally sit across the way from Sean,” said Skladany. “That's exactly where I am; I sit with that crew up there.”
Finishing third on Saturday with a bankroll of $648 USD was David Wolff, while Keith Loebs was fourth with $556 USD. The top four prizes were doled out on a $500-$250-$150-$100 USD basis.
The next edition of the monthly competition takes place on Friday, June 12.
Racing this weekend at The Meadowlands takes place on Friday and Saturday nights with post time at 6:35 p.m.
Cheyenne Christman will join host Dave Little on the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set for this weekend’s races. Christman is a multimedia content specialist with the United States Trotting Association, where she directs harnessracing.com preview shows, designs graphics, manages social media content and occasionally conducts on-air interviews. She has recently expanded her role to include serving as the USTA’s Strategic Wagers analyst. A third-generation horsewoman on both sides of her family, she has been around horses since the age of three and has worked with numerous trainers at The Meadows. In addition to her work with the USTA, she is also a freelance social media content creator and manager for various harness racing entities.
Ken Warkentin will be in his usual spot, calling the action, while Gary DiLeo will handle paddock interviews with winning connections. DiLeo will provide commentary and selections to his faithful on the FanDuel Television feed on Friday, while Melissa Keith will be on the FDTV desk on Saturday.
Hearts will be racing this Saturday, when some of the fastest little dogs you’ll ever see compete in the second annual Meadowlands Racetrack Corgi Cup. This family-friendly event features Corgis racing in between the live harness races. It’s a night of fun, laughs, music, doggies and harness racing. And the best part? Admission and parking are free. This year, the Corgi contestant count has been increased to 100, and there will be 10 heats, with the first to go at 6 p.m., with the Corgi Cup final to be contested at 9:45 p.m. Each heat features 10 dogs racing – make that frolicking – to the finish line. The 10 winners move on to the final, which takes place on the actual racetrack.
In addition to catching the Corgi dashes, fans can enjoy a variety of activities. DJ Alx will be on hand providing sizzling sounds while patrons indulge in great food and cocktails from the track’s Backyard BBQ & Grill. Clyde’s Homemade Italian Ice & Ice Cream is bringing all their classic flavours, while Wild Bill’s Soda will be serving up their thirst-quenching concoctions. Doggieroadtrippin will be on-site with pup-friendly activities, and Groomington Eats will be on hand with the best dog treats in town. Backyard doors open at 5 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack; photo of John Skladany with his winning ticket)