New, increased late wagers is an enhanced touch to Meadowlands Pace card

by Brett Sturman

Before getting into the Meadowlands Pace night racing action, one of the recurring themes of this column through the years has been advocating a need for higher minimum base wagers. I believe that the race to the bottom for small 10 and 20-cent wagers hasn’t been conducive to growing handle or generating high payouts.

With that, I was pleasantly surprised to see the announcement from The Meadowlands this week that beginning on Pace Night they would be raising the base wager for their final Pick-3 of the night from $1 to $3 and increasing the base wager for the Late Double from $2 to $5. I love the concept of thinking bigger.

For many traditionalists, the idea of a $3 Pick-3 or a $5 Double might sound extreme, but it’s been proven over the past year or so in the thoroughbred industry. I first started noticing an even higher $5 late Pick-3 and $5 Double earlier this year at tracks like Oaklawn and Keeneland. Even the Horseshoe Indianapolis thoroughbred track runs the $5 Late Double and has cited its popularity and success. With The Meadowlands being one of only a small handful of harness racing tracks that have a high enough handle in general to support the increase in the late wagers, I think it’s absolutely worth a shot to try it and see if it catches on.

I’ve already seen some of the detractors of the idea on social media with the arguments mainly being that it’s pricing out the smaller players. I don’t agree with it. An incremental increase in only these two wagers, especially knowing that the other two Doubles and all other Pick-3’s on the card are still at the standard base denomination is a healthy experiment. It certainly does force a typical retail player to more carefully construct their tickets, especially in the Pick-3 as they can’t spread out their tickets as much if sticking with the same budget, but in that process, it does force more strategic handicapping.There’s going to be an adjustment period but I’ll be very curious to see if The Meadowlands can prove it out. I think it has a real chance of being successful and perhaps the start of a newer trend.

As for the super 14-race card itself, here are my thoughts on some horses that caught my eye of late.

RACE 9 — $425,000 GRADE 1 HAMBLETONIAN MATURITY

The drive that Yannick Gingras delivered last week with On To Norway in the Graduate final should go down as one of the best of his entire career. Working out a second-over trip from post 9, it looked like he might get caught in a blind switch as Super Chapter made a three-wide move to his outside. But Gingras waited patiently, assessed correctly that there was room about to open on the inside, angled in, caught a fortuitous break when the horse to his outside broke, and then was able to split and come through for the record win in 1:48.3. Super Chapter was game in defeat and I’m looking forward to seeing what the rematch of these two brings. Walspea held remarkably well last week as the one who set the fast fractions; responded nicely to the Tetrick driver change. Go Dog Go was too far back last week but maybe Todd McCarthy can make some magic happen here from post 11 in a 13-horse field.

RACE 10 — $810,000 GRADE 1 MEADOWLANDS PACE FINAL

Brandon Blvd looms the heavy chalk to take home this year’s Meadowlands Pace, and rightfully so. He may have wound up the favorite even without the defection of two of the top 3-year-olds and following last week’s elimination win in 1:47.3 and at this rate his record speaks for itself. The closest threat should be Sweet Lovin Lou who arrived late last week to be a decent second to Brandon Blvd and also chased him willingly late in a mile this spring at Woodbine Mohawk. Gentleman’s Cup put up that big 1:47.4 win here at the end of June; Governor’s Cup winner can maybe put a scare into the favorite with his very best. Al Papi represents perhaps the best of the four Burke entrants. Messenger runner-up was fighting on at the end of the North America Cup race and will be involved early. I’ve liked stablemate Melillo but so far it looks like he’s not quite as strong as he was last year.

RACE 8 — $135,700 GRADE 2 WILLIAM HAUGHTON MEMORIAL DIVISION 1

Ervin Hanover has been huge in every start in the year thus far and was so good last week that he was able to overcome his 0-for-8 curse at The Meadowlands and roll impressively to a 1:46.3 win, just one-fifth off his lifetime best of 1:46.2 taken last year at Woodbine Mohawk Park. In his way on Saturday will be the 4-year-old Captain Optimistic, who “graduated” last week in a time of an identical 1:46.3 to Ervin Hanover, and that’s the second time in his last three starts that he’s gone sub-1:47. It seems like a lot to go from beating (top) restricted 4-year-olds to the older and more seasoned Ervin Hanover, but it will be a good barometer as to how some of these best Graduate horses may fare as the year goes on in the FFA pacing wars. The second William Haughton Memorial in race 11 isn’t without top stars either. It’s a wide-open race where Fallout, Ken Hanover, Captain Albano, Lou Hill – or even Oakwood Ardan IR who has surprised against these just like he almost did last week – could win.

RACE 3 — $143,150 GRADE 2 DEL MILLER MEMORIAL DIVISION 2

In this second of two Del Miller Memorial splits, Ygritte has emerged as an unforeseen Hambletonian Oaks contender. Now five-for-five on the year, she surprised in her second start back in May when wearing down All Time Trot S first-over to win the Lady Suffolk and has kept on her winning ways since then. She hasn’t raced since June 19, but was flattered when a colt who she beat two races ago (It Could Be Worse) came back to win a Reynolds division last week here in 1:50.3. Other contenders in this race include R Ro, She’s Moni, with race favoritism likely going to the outside filly, Jailbird Jog. Waiting for Svandstedt to deliver with Isabella Bi one of these nights too. The Del Miller Memorial in the preceding race 2 features Nezuko Kamado S against Leading Lady.

RACE 4 — $145,900 GRADE 3 STANLEY DANCER MEMORIAL DIVISION 1

Hambletonian contenders abound in the two Dancer splits. As referenced a moment ago, It Could Be Worse stole away on the front-end last week in his Reynolds division to turn back at the 1-5 favored Nix Nacken en route to that 1:50.3 score. For Nix Nacken, his heavy favoritism was warranted following his 1:50-flat win two back in the New Jersey Sires Stakes Silver final but the first-over trip didn’t work out for him last week in a race where maybe Dunn was a little too confident. Last year’s Breeders Crown winner Spencer Hanover is hard to gauge. Aside from the break at Yonkers in his last start, I thought his 1:54.3 two back at Vernon was just okay. But prior races from Oak Grove, especially that 1:51.3 win over top Hambletonian prospect Endurance, was excellent. Highland Destiny broke last week here in the Reynolds but looks to have an upside. In race 6’s second Dancer division is last year’s divisional champion and most lists’ #1 Hambletonian prospect, Apex. Also in that race is Yonkers Trot winner Inexpressable. Despite Tetrick engineering the upset win in that race at the extended distance, it looks like Zeron will get the call now.

RACE 5 — $180,120 GRADE 3 JERRY SILVERMAN MEMORIAL

The first matchup between Loua Dipa and Be Perfect BG did not disappoint at all but now round 2 comes on the Saturday Pace card. Both fillies raced their hearts out in that narrow 1:48.1 win by Loua Dipa in the Fan Hanover. Be Perfect BG was actually favored over Loua Dipa in that Fan Hanover race but has the outside post 9 to deal with in this spot at The Meadowlands. Loua Dipa was upset the last time she raced at The Meadowlands, with a loss coming to She’s A Bulldog in November’s Three Diamonds final. It’s to be seen if they can elevate to the level of the top two, but fillies such as I’m A Lou Lou, Perfect Thought, Darlin’s Angel, and even the NJSDF winner Car Keys have talent.

RACE 7 — $165,750 GRADE 2 DOROTHY HAUGHTON MEMORIAL

Chris Ryder stars Miki And Minnie and Twin B Joe Fresh separated themselves as the best two mares in last week’s Perfect Sting and will look to dominate a similar bunch here in the Dorothy Haughton. Miki And Minnie was game to track down Twin B Joe Fresh in that race and as a result has been elevated to the No. 1 ranked horse in the sport, while equally strong was Twin B Joe Fresh who looks to have come back now to her better form. Louies Girl N will look to upset the Ryder duo as she moves from post 9 last week down to the rail position now.