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Negative Takeout Likely In Friday’s Pick 6 At The Meadowlands

Fans of the 20-cent Pick-6 at The Meadowlands will be out in force Friday (Jan. 28) night hoping to turn a negative into a positive when The Big M kicks off its 26-race weekend of live action at 6:20 p.m.

Last Saturday (Jan. 22), for a second straight race card, the Pick-6 failed to yield a winning ticket, so when racing resumes, there will be a carryover of $14,033 up for grabs. Those who had five correct were paid $672.72.

Pick-6 carryovers can create pools where the bettor gets incredible value. Take what would transpire this Friday, for instance. If $80,000 in “new money” is poured into the pool, there will be a “negative takeout,” meaning bettors with all six winners on their tickets will get back more than what's wagered that night.

That $80,000 is subject to the low 15 percent takeout, which means $12,000 goes back to the operator, leaving $68,000. The carryover is not subject to the “rake,” so the total pool would be $82,033, which creates a “negative takeout”, where the return to players is more than what is bet live. In addition, the 20-cent minimum bet allows players to “spread” their tickets with multiple combinations, increasing their chances of hitting big.

The Pick-6 takes place on races eight through 13 and free past performances for every race of every Meadowlands race card are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.

GINGRAS THE GREAT: Harness racing's hottest hands belong to Yannick Gingras, as the 42-year-old has left a path of destruction through The Meadowlands' driver colony in the early stages of 2022.

The Hall of Fame bound pilot won six times on the Saturday night card at The Big M – including a victory in the feature with Covered Bridge – to up his driver-colony leading win total to 24. Joe Bongiorno is a distant second with 13.

Gingras has been remarkably consistent, winning at least three races on each of the six race cards conducted this year.

“It's been horsepower,” said Gingras of his wicked winter. “Ronnie [Burke] is racing a little more this [winter] than last year and the horses are in the right spot. I don't feel any sharper, honestly. I don't get too up or down. I feel good right now. It's just the way the cards are rolling.”

Remarkably, only one of “The Green Hornet's” Saturday winners went off as the favorite.

LIVE RACING SCHEDULE: Racing at The Big M is conducted on a Friday-Saturday basis and has a first-race post time of 6:20 p.m.

The track's live “Racing from The Meadowlands” pregame show kicks off nightly at 5:47 p.m.

OTTEN TO HOST: Big M TV's Jessica Otten will take a turn in the host's chair this Friday, and on the pregame show, she'll interview Lauren Harmon during the track's popular “In the Sulky” segment, which begins at approximately 5:50 p.m.

Harmon is a native of Michigan who grew up in a racing family – her dad Don Harmon and stepmother Krista Williams Harmon have a stable in the Midwest. Lauren, the niece of longtime Big M horseman Rob Harmon, is second trainer at thestable.ca in Ohio and drives in amateur events there.

WEATHER ALERT: With the possibility of bad weather hitting the area, those who want to make sure that there is live racing or simulcasting at The Meadowlands should check out the track's website (playmeadowlands.com) or call 201-THE-BIGM before heading to the track.

BIG POOLS, SMALL TAKEOUTS: The Meadowlands is the industry's handle leader, and much of the reason why is many of the bets the mile oval offers feature a low takeout of 15 percent.

Here is a rundown of those wagers for the upcoming weekend:

· Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5

· Race 3: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7

· Race 6: 50-cent Early Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)

· Race 8: 20-cent Pick-6

· Race 10: 50-cent Late Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)

· Race 13: 10-cent Pentafecta/Hi-5

WHO DOES BROWER LIKE? For expert selections and analysis of every Big M card, check out track oddsmaker Dave Brower's race reviews.

For Brower's input, which is generally available 48 hours before every card, go to playmeadowlands.com, then click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews”.

The post Negative Takeout Likely In Friday’s Pick 6 At The Meadowlands appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The Meadowlands To Begin 2022 With Pair Of 15-Race Programs

The year 2021 may have been challenging for society, but business at The Meadowlands was extraordinary while providing horseplayers a diversion from the pandemic.

This Friday (Jan. 7), The Big M will kick off what it hopes to be another big year with the first of two 15-race programs that get underway at 6:20 p.m. Racing will be conducted on a Friday-Saturday basis for the next 31 weeks. In addition, there will be racing on three Thursdays during that span (June 30, July 7 and Aug. 4).

“Winter is normally a good time for us with some of the closer tracks dark for the next few months,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Our entry box got great support from horsemen wanting to get their horses raced, so much so that we are able to present 30 races this first weekend of 2022.”

The action should be sizable to start the year, if the final program of 2021 is any indication. Last Friday (Dec. 31), wagering on the 14-race card totaled $2.97 million, which nudged action for the year just past the $276-million mark for the 92 racing programs, meaning that the mile oval's average handle per card was a remarkable $3 million.

“We all know how tough 2021 was on all of us,” said Settlemoir. “But we were grateful to be able to conduct our races and be as successful as we were while keeping our horsemen, staff, and customers safe. Moving forward, with Covid numbers on the rise, we will be taking some precautions to keep our co-workers and guests safe and healthy for the New Year.”

Until further notice, face masks must be worn by staff and guests, regardless of vaccination status, in the grandstand as well as the FanDuel Sportsbook.

The post The Meadowlands To Begin 2022 With Pair Of 15-Race Programs appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Meadowlands’ Handle Exceeds $7 Million For Third Straight Weekend

Last weekend (Feb. 12-13) was the third straight that saw total handle exceed the $7-million plateau at The Meadowlands – a lofty level reached three times during all of 2020 – and much of the recent wild wagering at the mile oval is due to the popularity of the track's low 15 percent takeout bets.

The Big M has seen great results since changing the Hi-5/Pentafecta format. Formerly, it was a 20-cent base with a 'jackpot', meaning it paid out only when there was one winning ticket. The response has been vigorous since management changed it to a 10-cent base that pays out on all winning tickets.

Through Feb. 12, the updated Hi-5 was averaging $31,794 per pool, compared to $8,807 over the same period a year ago. Much like the superfecta more than a decade ago, lowering the minimum to 10 cents has given the bet a new lease on life, as the average payoff during 2021 is $1,535. On Feb. 6, a rare Hi-5 carryover resulted in a total pool of $79,254, which led to a payout of $10,094.

Another wager that has been performing at a high level is the 20-cent Pick-5 – the track's most popular puzzle in terms of average pool – which is currently seeing $105,977 a night, almost double what the action was a year ago ($56,331). Thus far in 2021, the P5 average payout has been $2,989. The bet serves as a catalyst for the first race, which saw $367,134 of wagering Saturday, and has been averaging over $300,000 a night thus far this year.

The Big M's signature wager – the 50-cent Pick-4 – gives bettors two chances to make a score every live racing night. The Early P4 has averaged $94,294 per pool and the Late P4 has seen $90,586 a throw. Players of all kinds got to cash in last Saturday. The Early Pick returned $17,959.80 after 20-1 shots served as winning bookends, while the Late Pick came back $78.55 after two favorites, one 5-2 and one 3-1 scored during that extremely formful sequence.

The Pick-5 is not the only wager that has come up roses with a new twist. The Pick-6 is not a jackpot bet, so the low 20-cent minimum has made the P6 playable even when there is no carryover. During 2021, the average pool has been $14,581, leading to a payoff of $3,831.

The last of The Big M's 'Super Six' wagers that offer the low 15 per cent takeout is the 20-cent Survivor Pick-7, which has a mandatory payout every night. It is another bet that generates some big payouts, as the average return of $3,846 proves.

The lineup of The Meadowlands' 15 percent takeout wagers:

· Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5

· Race 3: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7

· Race 6: 50-cent Early Pick-4

· Race 8: 20-cent Pick-6

· Race 10: 50-cent Late Pick-4

· Race 15 (or final race): 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta

“Wagering last week was over $7 million,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Which was up $2.36 million from the same two nights last year. What we are seeing is that low take outs and low minimums help to keep The Meadowlands horseplayer in action longer.

“If the player can stay in action, they are capable of making a score on any number of our wagers that are generating big payoffs. In any successful gambling business, customer satisfaction is the name of the game. Judging by our 2021 results, where we have seen handle exceed $3 million on five consecutive programs, we can reasonably assume that the customer thinks The Meadowlands is providing an excellent and improved product.”

THE SCHEDULE: Live racing at The Meadowlands takes place every Friday and Saturday evening. Post time is 6 p.m.

The track's live “Racing from the Meadowlands” pre-game show begins at 5:27 p.m.

FREE PPs FOR ALL: Thanks to an agreement between The Meadowlands and TrackMaster, past performances for every race of every Big M program are now available at no cost.

To access the free PPs, go to playmeadowlands.com.

GET SOCIAL: 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.

On race nights, stay in touch with the Big M's Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Shades Demsky (@shadesonracing) and Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1).

$100,000 GUARANTEED: Every night, The Meadowlands guarantees big green on both editions of its signature wager, as each 50-cent Pick-4 sports a $50,000 guaranteed pool.

CHECK OUT THE PICKS: For those who need to get a leg up on the action, go to playmeadowlands.com to see track oddsmaker and analyst Brower's selections and commentary. Click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews”.

Brower's input is generally available 48 hours before every card.

Additionally, track announcer Warkentin's blog is available on the site and offers his picks and analysis.

GET YOUR SPORTS ACTION: Pro and college sports betting is available at The Meadowlands' FanDuel Sportsbook every day.

Bets can be placed on the NBA, NHL, college basketball and many other sports any time the wagering windows are open.

The sportsbook is open 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.

The post Meadowlands’ Handle Exceeds $7 Million For Third Straight Weekend appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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