by Meadowlands Media Relations
East Rutherford, NJ — The first Hambletonian Future Wager closed Sunday (June 24) with $6,991 bet in the pool of 15 interests.
Wagering will be available at racetrack and online sites throughout North America and when the future wager pool opens next – on Friday (July 20) – it can be found in betting systems as Race 2: Hambletonian Future Wager Pool 2 CODE MZH.
Betting opens that day at 12 noon and closes Sunday (July 22) at 10 p.m.
The results of Saturday’s (June 23) Earl Beal eliminations at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono featured a surprise as both freshman divisional champs north and south of the border – O’Brien winner Alarm Detector and Dan Patch winner Fourth Dimension – broke stride and did not make the $500,000 final this Saturday (June 30) .The undefeated filly Manchego won her elimination and she is part of “The Field” in the Future Wager.
A team of harness racing analysts and handicappers – led by Meadowlands announcer Ken Warkentin, whose “Road to the Hambletonian” annually tracks the leading candidates to the race – has selected a group of 14 trotters out of the 235 colts, fillies and geldings that remain eligible to start in the Hambletonian after the final payment on Feb. 15.
Though fillies have their own division in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, several have started in the $1 million event for males in recent years, most recently world champion Mission Brief, who was second to Pinkman in 2015. The connections of two fillies, Manchego and Atlanta, have not ruled out the richer division yet.
The mutuel field will consist of the remaining horses eligible to the 93rd edition of America’s Trotting Classic, including all fillies eligible to the Oaks. There are no supplements permitted to the Hambletonian or Oaks.
The minimum future wager is $1 and all future wagers are win wagering only. The winner of each pool will be determined by the official first-place finisher in the 2018 Hambletonian.
The horses in each of the pools are listed in alphabetical order.
The final Hambletonian Future Wager, Pool #3, will open Wednesday (Aug. 1) at noon and closes on Hambletonian Eve, Friday, (Aug. 3) at 10 p.m.
Further details available at PlayMeadowlands.com and Hambletonian.com Official Rules below.
The 2018 Hambletonian Future Wagering Pool 1
HD – Horse – Morning Line Odds
1. Alarm Detector 20-1
2. Captain Morgan 28-1
3. Evaluate 22-1
4. Fourth Dimension 7-2
5. Met’s Hall 22-1
6. Moosonee 32-1
7. Patent Leather 10-1
8. Samo Different Day 55-1
9. Shoshie Deo 60-1
10. Six Pack 5-1
11. Southwind Chrome 28-1
12. Tae Kwon Deo 28-1
13. Wolfgang 5-1
14. You Know You Do 34-1
15. Field (all other eligibles) 5-2
(All other horses eligible to Hambletonian and Oaks. Fillies can enter the Open division.)
A description of the wager may be found at http://meadowlandsracetrack.com/News.aspx?id=17609.
Rules are available https://www.hambletonian.com/.