In the classic 1941 movie “The Maltese Falcon,” Sam Spade, played brilliantly by Humphrey Bogart, utters the line “The stuff that dreams are made of.”
Maybe Bogie was talking about Hambletonian Day, because that’s exactly how owners, trainers, drivers and fans of the game feel on the first Saturday in August when they experience all there is to experience on harness racing’s biggest day.
Bettors? Well, they’ve been dreaming about this day, too.
“The challenge for the team at The Meadowlands was to create a wagering menu that is worthy of the greatest day in harness racing," said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. "Giving horseplayers low takeouts and a plethora of real opportunities to make scores. This will create a high level of not only North American excitement, but International excitement as well on our biggest day.”
The Hambletonian Day card takes place on Saturday (August 7) and is the final program of The Championship Meeting, which has been conducted in honour of the Big M’s late, great, longtime racing secretary Joe DeFrank. Post time is noon. The stakes-laden card offers purses totaling $3.6 million.
The Meadowlands will offer free program pages, and those past performances are usually available 48 hours before the race card and can be accessed by going to playmeadowlands.com.
The wagering will be fast and furious on the 16-race extravaganza, with only one wager, the Trifecta, having a takeout greater than 20 per cent. There will be a total of nine bets with a low 15 per cent takeout, including the track’s most popular puzzle, the 50-cent Pick-4. That wager will offer a $75,000 guaranteed pool on races eight through 11 and offer a $125,000 promise on races 12 through 15. Races 14 and 15 are the Hambletonian Oaks and Hambletonian, respectively.
The 20-cent Pick-6 has been a hit with bettors all meeting long, so Big M fans will be able to double their fun on Saturday, when the wager is offered on both races one through six and 10 through 15.
Twenty-cent Pick-5 players will have to alter their plans a bit. That bet, which usually begins in race one, will span races three through seven on Saturday.
The 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 will be offered later than usual, as it will get underway in race five.
Offering some extra opportunities to make a hit will be the 10-cent Pentafecta/Hi-5, which will be offered three times, on races 14, 15 and 16.
There will be 10-cent Superfectas on every race, and, on the Hambletonian Oaks and Hambletonian, there will be a special daily double wager.
Because it is the last day of the meeting, there will be mandatory payouts for the Pick-5 (race three), Pick-7 (race five), Pick-6 (race 10), Pick-4 (race 12) and Pentafecta/Hi-5 (race 16).
“Mr. [Jeff] Gural and I have said this on many occasions,” said Settlemoir, “any formula to reinvent The Meadowlands must include improved wagering opportunities for the horseplayers. As handle grows, the track, the horsemen, the State and our simulcast partners grow with us.
“Lowering takeouts and increasing pool size are important as they create value for the horseplayer. Combine a solid wagering menu and low takeouts with great racing and full fields, and you have The Meadowlands’ successful 2021 season, where average handle has exploded to well over $3 million per night.”
HOW TO WATCH: For those who can’t make it out to the track, there will be plenty of outlets showing all or part of the Hambletonian Day card.
The CBS Sports Network will air the Hambletonian Oaks and Hambletonian live from 5:30-6:30 p.m., with Greg Blanchard serving as host. The voice of The Big M, Ken Warkentin, will be calling his 22nd Hambletonian.
Fox Sports 2 will cut in from its live presentation of racing from Saratoga to show The Hambletonian. The Big M TV team of Dave Brower and Dave Little will be on-set with Jessica Otten and Gabe Prewitt providing features and interviews.
The Meadowlands Facebook page (facebook.com/meadowlandsracetrack) and YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/MeadowlandsRacetrack) will show the entire race card live, as will the Roberts Television Network (rtn.tv).
The Television Games Network (tvg.com) will send one of their popular personalities, Caton Bredar, to The Meadowlands to keep fans of that ADW (advance deposit wagering) service on top of the action all day long.
TV TEAM AT FULL STRENGTH: Catch The Meadowlands’ live in-house simulcast presentation all day long on Hambletonian Day.
The festivities kick off with the pre-game show at 11:20 a.m. with Little and Brower talking about the day’s events. In addition to “The Two Daves," Warkentin will call the races, Otten will bring to life what’s happening in the back paddock, Prewitt will have winner’s circle reaction, Shades Demsky – the regular track announcer at The Big M’s sister venue Tioga Downs – will have exclusive Twitter content, and Edison Hatter – who calls the races at Freehold Raceway – will serve in several capacities during the day, primarily giving out Pick-4 tickets.
START TWEETING: You can always check in with the team at The Meadowlands on Twitter.
For early changes, racing information and staff selections, go to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.
Stay in touch with the Big M’s Brower (@eedoogie), Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Otten (@JessicaOtten1), Demsky (@ShadesOnRacing) and Hatter (@Edison_1999_).
BROWER’S BEST BETS: For those who like to get a leg up on the action, go to playmeadowlands.com to see oddsmaker Brower’s selections and analysis. Click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews.”
Brower’s input is generally available 48 hours before every card.
ACTION RULES AT FANDUEL: Not only does The Meadowlands offer the best harness action in the world, but it also has one of the leading sportsbooks in the country inside the track, The FanDuel Sportsbook.
Racing fans can duck into the ‘book’ during the Hambletonian Day card and get their sports betting action. There, as always, is a plethora of opportunities, ranging from Major League Baseball to the Olympic Games.
On Thursday (August 5), fans of the surging New York Yankees can bet the Bronx Bombers at -205 to defeat the Seattle Mariners.
Do you like prop bets? How about some long balls from the newest Yankees? If you want to play Joe Gallo to hit a home run, the odds are +190. If you want to take a shot with Anthony Rizzo, the odds are +370.
Hours for the sportsbook are Sunday-Friday from 10 a.m.-midnight and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 a.m. The cash counter is open from 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)