The 2020 stakes season kicked off with a stakes-packed card from the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, N.J. on Saturday (July 18).
The stakes-heavy Saturday (July 18) Grand Circuit card of harness racing at The Meadowlands featured the $636,650 Meadowlands Pace for three-year-olds, the $464,900 Hambletonian Maturity for four-year-old trotters, the $391,300 W.R. Haughton Memorial (and $123,100 consolation) for free-for-all pacers, two divisions in the $284,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial for three-year-old male trotters, the $253,500 Delvin Miller Memorial for three-year-old filly trotters, the $194,400 Mistletoe Shalee for three-year-old filly pacers, the $172,850 Dorothy Haughton Memorial for older pacing mares, and a $40,000 division of the Miss Versatility for older trotting mares.
Over the 13 races the Meadowlands Pace card handled $5,051,261, far exceeding the highest handle by a racetrack so far in 2020. The figure falls shy of the all-time handle record for Meadowlands Pace night set in 2008 when $5,371,055 was wagered. Compared to 2019's card, handle increased nearly 25 percent since $4,044,303 was bet.
Recaps from the night appear below.
Tall Dark Stranger Scores In Meadowlands Pace
Challenged late by Papi Rob Hanover, Tall Dark Stranger emerged victorious as the 1-2 favourite in the $636,650 Meadowlands Pace Final....read on
Manchego Marches In Miss Versatility
Sent the 1-9 favourite, Manchego unhurriedly claimed command and maintained control through the mile to take the third $40,000 preliminary of the Miss Versatility....read on
Ramona Hill Hustles In Del Miller Memorial
Despite drawing post 10, Ramona Hill darted and fought to hold the front, enduring quick fractions and holding firm to the finish to win the $253,500 Del Miller Memorial....read on
Ready For Moni Rolls In Stanley Dancer Memorial
Kicking off cover from second over, Ready For Moni ripped to the lead late and won the fastest of two $142,250 divisions of the Stanley Dancer Memorial, scoring in his sophomore debut with a 1:51.4 mile....read on
Reflect With Me Motors In Mistletoe Shalee
Carried into competition off a second over trip, Reflect With Me pounced off her cover to score a 1:49 victory in the $194,400 Mistletoe Shalee....read on
Dancin Lou Dashes To Victory In William Haughton
Stalking swift fractions from the pocket, Dancin Lou found daylight late in the stretch to dart to the lead and take the $391,300 William Haughton Memorial....read on
Gimpanzee Giant In Hambletonian Maturity
Overcoming post 13, Gimpanzee forged a spot into the two-wide flow and catapulted off cover to win the $464,900 Hambletonian Maturity, drawing away at the finish of the mile-and-an-eighth affair....read on
Major Occasion A Lands Large Upset In Dorothy Haughton
Skimming through a seam at the pylons, Major Occasion A slipped past Shartin N in the final strides to pull a 50-1 upset in the $172,850 Dorothy Haughton Memorial, formerly named the Golden Girls....read on
Our Majordan A Massive In Haughton Consolation
Fighting to protect the front, Our Majordan A withstood quick fractions to retake command in the final turn and win the $123,100 William Haughton Memorial Consolation....read on
For the charted results from the Meadowlands Pace card, click the following link:Saturday Results - Meadowlands Racetrack
I think last night's race
I think last night's race card at The Meadowlands was the first card anywhere in which 7 races went in 1:49 or faster. What makes this even more impressive is that of the 6 races which didn't go that fast, 5 of them were trots. I think yesterday's card was also the first one in history in which a horse (Gimpanzee) won from PP 13.
Although a $5 million handle sounds impressive, you have to keep this in perspective: Monmouth Park is a thoroughbred track also in NJ, an hour's drive from The Meadowlands. Yesterday's total handle at Monmouth on Haskell Day was $19.9 million. Saratoga Race Course in NY had no major stakes races on yesterday's race card, and unlike Monmouth and The Meadowlands, not a single spectator in attendance. Yesterday's handle at Saratoga: $21.6 million.