East Rutherford, NJ – When racing returns to The Meadowlands Friday (Feb. 6) night, there will be a new bet on the menu which could create the type of excitement not seen at the mile oval in a long time.
And no one is as pumped up as Peter Kleinhans.
The Big M’s faithful followers, starved for action with the track having canceled four consecutive programs due to inclement weather, will have a huge pot to shoot for when the third race rolls around, as that dash will mark the debut of the $1 Pick-8, which will not need several carryovers to create a big pot.
The wager, which is the brainchild of Kleinhans, will be seeded with $50,000 of Kleinhans’ money, and in the event the bet isn’t hit the first several nights it’s offered, the potential carryover pools could be positively monstrous.
“Hi all, I just wanted to call attention to a new bet that I’m sponsoring at the Meadowlands,” said Kleinhans, harness racing’s jack of all trades, on Facebook. “It is my hope that this Pick-8 seeded with $50,000 will lead to historically high carryovers and something entirely new for the horse players and fans to be excited about. The bet will start on February 6th. Please have fun, support this bet, and I hope you win big!”
Kleinhans is banking on big carryovers to create interest like there hasn’t been seen in a long time. Without the $50,000 start, a bet like this might have seen pools in the $2,000 range, but if Kleinhans’ hopes are realized, right out of the shoot, there should be $5,000 of gravy poured on top of the $50,000 filet mignon.
The Oak Grove Racing, Gaming and Hotel track announcer, who is also a horse owner, amateur driver, sometimes fill-in co-host on the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set, and singer/songwriter, whose next performance is scheduled for March 11 at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village, isn’t merely putting up the money to line the pockets of would-be winners.
But, on the other hand, he’s not doing it to make money, either.
Kleinhans is hoping to give the harness game a shot of adrenaline with the Pick-8 and has committed to seeding the pool four times.
“I am not expecting to break even,” said Kleinhans, a married father of three who has found financial success playing the stock market, in an interview conducted Wednesday afternoon. “I am just hoping that one of these four go-rounds sees a carryover that gets to a million dollars.”
The way it is set up, as long as there are decent to good carryovers, Kleinhans will recoup a good chunk of his money. He can actually make money in the event that the carryovers get to an extremely high level.
If no one hits for an extended period of time, there will be a cap of 25 carryovers before there is a mandatory payout. Kleinhans decided on the $1-dollar minimum but said he may reduce that to 50 cents if the situation calls for it.
“It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for over 20 years,” said Kleinhans. “Finally, I decided, I didn’t want to go to my grave wondering what would have happened. Maybe this could have revitalized the game.”
The sometimes fill-in Big M track announcer hopes his idea catches fire and spreads.
“My hope is that other tracks will want to do this as well,” said Kleinhans. “I think tracks should step up and take chances. This Pick-8 venture, the main payoff on this one, is harness racing coming up the winner.”
“There is the potential here for carryovers that would be beyond gigantic,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Peter Kleinhans is someone who wants to see the visibility of The Meadowlands – and harness racing – increase, and the Pick-8 was his vision, so all of us at The Big M appreciate his efforts to create some huge excitement for our players, who will no doubt support this wager given the possibility of making a big score.”
The facts about the Pick-8:
· Pool to be seeded with $50,000
· $1 minimum bet
· Wager to be offered on races 3-10
· If a player picks all eight winners and possesses the only ticket, they take the entire pool. If there are multiple winners, the pool will be split among those with eight correct
· When the bet is not hit, 25 percent of the pool will be paid out to those with the most winners, with 75 percent of the pool carrying over
AN EARLY START: The live racing schedule at The Meadowlands returns to its usual two-day-per-week format this weekend. Since 15 races have been carded for this Friday (Feb. 6) and Saturday (Feb. 7), and with the continued cold temperatures, the action will kick off a little earlier than usual, with a post time of 6 p.m.
The remainder of February will have the usual 6:20 p.m. post time for both of the race days.
CHANGES IN THE LINEUP: This weekend finds a new face appearing on the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set as well as a new voice in the track announcer’s booth.
Cheyenne Christman, the Multimedia Content Specialist for the United States Trotting Association, will sit alongside regular host Dave Little and offer her opinions and selections on both Friday and Saturday nights.
She directs HarnessRacing.com preview shows, designs graphics, manages social media content and occasionally conducts on-air interviews. A third-generation horsewoman on both sides of her family, she’s been around horses since the age of 3 and has worked with numerous trainers at The Meadows (Pa.).
“I am honored for the opportunity to work alongside Hall of Famer Dave Little at the Meadowlands and am excited to continue learning from one of the sport’s most respected voices while also contributing to the broadcast,” said Christman.
Ken Warkentin will be in his usual spot calling the races on Friday, but on Saturday, there will be another new face – make that voice – describing the action, as Settlemoir, the newly minted announcer of the Little Brown Jug, will be the man with the binoculars in his hand.
Joe Romanelli will serve in his regular role as back-paddock interviewer and FanDuel Television (FDTV) analyst and handicapper on both Friday and Saturday.
GET YOUR FREE PROGRAMS: To show appreciation to its loyal fan base, The Meadowlands offers free program pages for every race of every race card on its website. Go to playmeadowlands.com, then click on the “news” dropdown to get the past performances at absolutely no cost.
A GREAT WAY TO PLAY: Every night, The Meadowlands offers a marvelous menu of popular wagers that offer a low 15 percent takeout.
Here is the rundown of when these wagers will be offered on the 15-race programs that will take place this Friday and Saturday:
· Races 1-5: 20-cent Pick-5
· Races 3-10: $1 Pick-8 (seeded with $50,000)
· Races 6-9: Early 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
· Races 8-13: 20-cent Pick-6
· Races 10-13: Late 50-cent Pick 4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
· Race 15: 10-cent Pentafecta (Hi-5)
A SOCIAL SETTING: Everything Meadowlands is available by going on X. You can check in with the Big M team for early changes, racing information and staff selections by going to @themeadowlands or #playbigm. Stay in touch with The Big M talent duo of Little (@DaveLittleBigM) and Warkentin (@kenvoiceover).
SEE THE BIG GAME AT THE BIG M: The NFL’s championship game takes place on Sunday (Feb. 8), and the place to catch all of the action is The Meadowlands for the best watch party anywhere.
Gallery watch party:
· Overlooks FanDuel Sportsbook with giant screens and multiple TVs
· A huge number of screens from wall to wall
· Premium couch and table seating
· Football swag and other giveaways
· Game analysis by Marc Malusis of SportsNet New York and WFAN-660 AM
About the tickets:
· All tickets include tax, tip and access to game-day buffet
· Seating starts at 5:30 p.m.; Kickoff is 6:30 p.m.
Ticket options:
· Single seat: $45 (parties will be seated together, tables with parties of 2-10 will be available)
· 3-person couch: $300
· The Big-Game Buffet includes: Wings (Buffalo, Sweet n’ Spicy, BBQ), hot dogs, burgers, chicken fingers, french fries and dessert
· Beer bucket and beer tower specials
To purchase tickets, go here.
BET THE BIG GAME IN FANDUEL: Meadowlands regulars who love to plunk down a bet or two on the National Football League, know all they have to do is head for the FanDuel Sportsbook, the No. 1 betting facility of its type in North America.
It couldn’t be easier to do, as it’s located inside the grandstand at The Meadowlands. There are massive TV screens and self-service betting terminals, which enable fans to watch and wager in comfort while having some great food and drink.
The National Football League’s championship game takes place on Sunday (Feb. 8). The NFC champion Seattle Seahawks take on the AFC’s New England Patriots in a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
Whatever the sport, for the latest odds, go here.
The FanDuel Sportsbook is open for business Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 1 a.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. – 1 a.m.; and Sunday 8 a.m. – midnight.