On Thursday (August 2) the Meadowlands Racetrack’s publicity arm sent out multiple releases in regard to the track’s much-anticipated Hambletonian Day, which will take place this Saturday afternoon. Check in here for all of the information.
HUGE HAMBO DAY HANDLE EXPECTED AT THE ‘BIG M’
Meadowlands Pace Night produced the biggest single-card handle in all of harness racing thus far in 2018. On Saturday afternoon, that number – $4,083,390 – figures to be eclipsed on a star-studded 16-race program on Hambletonian Day at the ‘Big M.’
The marathon day at the races will kick off with a special noon post time for the first race, and bettors can get right to it trying to make a score when a guaranteed $50,000 will be up for grabs in the 50-Cent Pick-5, which has a low takeout of 15 per cent.
The action will continue fast and furious, as another $50,000 guarantee will be offered on the 50-Cent Pick-4 which will kick off in Race 3. After that, a 20-Cent Survivor Pick-8 (instead of the usual Pick-10) will begin in Race 5 before a $75,000 guaranteed 50-Cent Pick-4 that will commence in Race 8.
The final four races on the card (Races 13 through 16) will comprise the final 50-Cent Pick-4 of the 2017-18 Big M meeting. The 13th race will be the $1 million Hambletonian Final.
The Hambletonian Day post times appear below.
Race 1: noon (Vincennes)
Race 2: 12:20 p.m. (Shady Daisy)
Race 3: 12:42 p.m. (Zanzuccki)
Race 4: 1:02 p.m. (Peter Haughton Memorial)
Race 5: 1:32 p.m. (Jim Doherty Memorial)
Race 6: 2:02 p.m. (John Cashman Memorial)
Race 7: 2:25 p.m. (Cane Pace)
Race 8: 2:52 p.m. (Hambletonian Elimination 1)
Race 9: 3:23 p.m. (Hambletonian Elimination 2)
Race 10: 3:55 p.m. (Drazin)
Race 11: 4:10 p.m. (Sam McKee Memorial)
Race 12: 4:35 p.m. (Hambletonian Oaks Final)
Race 13: 5:06 p.m. (Hambletonian Final)
Race 14: 5:46 p.m. (Steele Memorial)
Race 15: 6:08 p.m. (Lady Liberty)
Race 16: 6:31 p.m. (Abercrombie)
HAMBO ON CBSSN: The 93rd edition of the Hambletonian will be seen live by a national television audience as the CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) will present 90 minutes of Hambo Day coverage beginning at 4 p.m. Hall of Famer Gary Seibel will serve as host with Meadowlands TV’s Dave Brower providing colour commentary. Greg Blanchard will handle the interviews.
SPECIAL LABEL HAMBLETONIAN WINE CREATED FOR AMERICA’S CLASSIC TROTTING RACE
In celebration of the 93rd edition of America’s greatest harness race, the Hambletonian Society, Meadowlands Racetrack and Tomasello Winery have teamed up to provide fans and guests with three special limited edition wine selections.
The $1 million Hambletonian will be raced Saturday afternoon (August 4) as the finale to the championship meet at the Meadowlands Racetrack, which is located in East Rutherford, NJ. Post time is 12 noon.
Entitled ‘The Hambletonian at the Meadowlands,’ the Hammonton-based winery – which is the second-oldest active in the Garden State – will produce a Pinot Grigio, a Pinot Noir, and a Chardonnay exclusively for Saturday’s edition. They will be available for purchase Friday (August 3) and Saturday (August 4) at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
“We are honoured to have produced three custom wines for the Hambletonian Society, please enjoy in the company of family and close friends,” said Tomasello Winery Vice President Jack Tomasello.
The Hambletonian, which is the most prestigious harness race for trotters in North America, is named in honour of Hambletonian 10.
The label was created by Meadowlands Racetrack’s graphic designer Kathleen Estes, based on a famous image of Hambletonian, the foundation sire of the Standardbred horse breed. Hambletonian 10, or Rysdyk's Hambletonian, (May 5, 1849 – 1876) was an American trotter born in Sugar Loaf, New York in 1849.
In 24 seasons at stud, between 1851 and 1875, Hambletonian produced about 1,335 foals. Through four of Hambletonian's sons (George Wilkes, Dictator, Happy Medium, and Electioneer), the lineage of virtually all North American Standardbred horses can be traced to him. At age 27, on March 27, 1876, Hambletonian died. Both he and his owner, who had died in 1870, were buried in Chester, NY.
Tomasello Winery is a fourth generation family-owned winery producing award winning wines since 1933. Tomasello is one of the largest winegrowers in New Jersey, having 70 acres of grapes under cultivation, and producing 75,000 cases of wine per year, distributing in over half of the United States and also exporting to the Pacific Rim. In addition to wines, Tomasello produces sparkling wines, hard ciders, fruit wines and ports. Tomasello Winery has 10 retail outlets thought out the Garden State and their wines are distributed by Fedway and available in over 800 retail wine stores in the state.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)