Saturday evening at the Meadowlands Racetrack was one that was filled with youth, energy and excitement, thanks to a free handicapping contest geared towards younger harness racing enthusiasts.
The contest was for anyone between the ages of 18 and 30 and was free to enter. It centered around 10 races at the Meadowlands on the Saturday program and each contestant selected one horse in each race to place a mythical two-dollar ‘across-the-board’ wager on.
When registration closed, 52 young guns entered to try their luck with hopes of earning a share of the $5,000 prize pool.
The prizes were divided as follows:
Winner: $2,500
Runner-up: $1,500
Third Place: $1,000
The winner of the $2,500 Grand Prize was Patrick Welsh of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. He compiled a bankroll of $142.80 for the 10 races, mostly on the back of Shaving Mug, a 20-1 upset winner in the fifth race. John Vernaglia from Cliffside Park, NJ finished second with $108.80 and took home the $1,500 second-place prize, while Michael Tack of Manville, NJ finished with $103.80 and landed the $1,000 third-place prize.
(With files from the Meadowlands)