East Rutherford, NJ — For the first time in over a decade, the Hambletonian will be shown to a widespread national television audience, as Fox Sports (Fox 5 New York) will show the 98th edition of “America’s Classic Trotting Race” as part of the New York Racing Association’s “FOX Saratoga Saturday,” a three-hour presentation of live action from Saratoga Race Course on Saturday (Aug. 5). The show kicks off at 3 p.m.

“We are pleased and proud to have partnered up with the TV team at the NYRA,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “It’s been great to have our races shown on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and Fox Sports 2 (FS2), but having harness racing’s biggest event available to an even bigger television audience is very exciting for all of us here at The Meadowlands, as well as the Hambletonian Society, and, of course, the fans who will be unable to be here on track.”

The show will feature the Whitney Stakes from the Spa, which has a post time of 5:42 p.m. The Hambo will serve as an appetizer for that major stake, as the field of 10 will get behind the starter car at 4:45 p.m.

Big M TV’s Jessica Otten and Gabe Prewitt will provide commentary and interviews for the harness racing portion of the program.

Cross Country Pick-5: The Meadowlands and Saratoga will combine forces on TV, and they will team up at the windows as well. The “Cross Country Cross Breed Pick-5” will be made up of two races at The Big M and three at The Spa. The bet will start with the Hambletonian Oaks at 3:35 p.m. and conclude with the Whitney at 5:42 p.m.

Impressive Stakes Menu: While you enjoy the food that will be available at food trucks on the apron, feast on these stakes events that will take place during the card: entries are available by clicking here.

“We feel that with the help of FOX and NYRA,” said Settlemoir, “the Hambletonian tradition is ready for the public recognition it richly deserves. This year, the Hambletonian will have an earlier post, which is expected to increase business not only in North America and Canada, but also in Europe, where the race will be shown late in the evening.

“With the race shown live on FOX, we expect the pool for the Hambletonian to break the $1 million barrier, which is uncharted territory. The $1 million plateau moves the sport, The Meadowlands and the Hambletonian to the next level. It’s a magical moment for the sport.”

Bountiful Betting: The Hambletonian program will have extraordinary wagering opportunities for value-conscious horseplayers around the world. Low minimums and low takeouts are always in place at The Big M to help keep the players in action.

On Hambo Day, there will be $350,000 in guaranteed pools and eight wagers that sport a low takeout of 15 percent, all of which have a mandatory payout. Here is the list:

Race 1: 20-cent Pick-6 ($50,000 guarantee)
Race 3: 20-cent Pick-5 ($75,000 guarantee)
Race 5: Early 50-cent Pick-4
Race 6: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7
Race 7: Early 10-cent Hi-5
Race 9: Middle 50-cent Pick-4 ($100,000 guarantee)
Race 12: Late 50-cent Pick-4 ($125,000 guarantee)
Race 16: Late 10-cent Hi-5

Pick-6 Carryover: While Saturday is harness racing’s biggest day, bettors can go for their biggest score on Friday.

After no winning tickets were sold for a second consecutive night last Saturday, the Pick-6 sported a double carryover of $47,167. The Pick-6 begins on race eight and concludes in race 13. The bet has a low 15 percent takeout along with a low 20-cent minimum wager.

If the final pool — including the carryover — is under $350,000, players would be shooting for a rare treat: a negative takeout. This is why play is expected to be huge.

In the event that the wager carries over again, the Saturday Pick-6 would turn into the wager of the year. The Saturday Pick-6 on Hambletonian Day starts with the first race, which gets underway at noon. With or without a carryover, the Saturday Pick-6 will have a mandatory payout.

It’s Free: Free past performances for every race of every Meadowlands card are available by going to playmeadowlands.com.

Get Tweeting: Everything Meadowlands is available by going on Twitter. 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 team of Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover) and Gabe Prewitt (@gabe_prewitt).

More National Exposure: There will be a one-hour Hambletonian replay show telecast on the CBS Sports Network at 2 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 6).

After the Hambo, live racing will go dark for three weeks. When racing resumes for a brief two-week stand, the New Jersey Classic Series finals for 2-year-olds will be in the spotlight with a live telecast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) at 9 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 8).

Hambo Day At The Track: There are several options for Hambletonian Day seating and dining.

For complete information on Hambo Day festivities and the impressive stakes menu click here.

Casino And Poker Night: The Hambletonian Charity Casino and Poker Night takes place on Friday (Aug. 4) and is presented by the Standardbred Retirement Foundation and the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.

For more information, click here. To purchase tickets, click here.

Warkentin ‘Masterful’: Nights 17 and 18 of the track’s “Battle of The Meadowlands Masterminds” went to Ken Warkentin in a big way.

Warkentin hit big on both Friday (July 28) and Saturday (July 29), ending the weekend with a bankroll that was just short of $5,000.

The Big M’s track announcer moved into second place in the overall standings with $9,225.00 to his credit. Dave Little is the leader of the competition with $11,118.05, followed by Warkentin, Gabe Prewitt ($8,296.40) and Jessica Otten ($7,601.50).

The Masterminds competition will end at the conclusion of Friday night’s ninth race. On-track patrons who select the winning handicapper on the card will have a chance to win a grand prize of $10,000. The drawing takes place on Hambletonian Day.

The handicapper who has the biggest bankroll at contest’s end will have $1,000 donated to a charity they have selected. Second place will get $500, with third and fourth $250 each. Prewitt is playing for CBH Care, the charity that the late Dave Brower played for last year when he won the competition. Otten is playing for New Vocations, Little for the Standardbred Retirement Foundation and Warkentin the Harness Horse Youth Foundation.

Horseplay Giveaway: Would you like to win a car?

Then come to The Meadowlands Friday night  for the “Horseplay Car Giveaway,” where the grand prize is a 2023 Toyota Camry.

For complete information and giveaway rules, click here.