Hambletonian weekend opens Friday at The Meadowlands
August 3, 2017,from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department
East Rutherford, NJ — The final weekend of live racing for the 2017 Championship Meet at the Meadowlands, including Saturday’s giant Hambletonian Day extravaganza, kicks off on Friday night (Aug. 4) with a dozen races beginning at 7:15 p.m.
Friday’s featured races are divisions of the Duenna and Townsend Ackerman, which are unofficial consolation races for the Hambletonian and Oaks.
The Hambletonian festivities get underway on Friday evening with the Hambletonian Charity Casino Night and Poker Tournament. The proceeds will benefit the Hall of Fame Museum and Standardbred Retirement Foundation. Reservations are available and recommended.
Saturday is, of course, the “Greatest Day in Harness Racing” featuring the Hambletonian on a card with $3.5 million in purses and activities galore. Post time on Saturday is noon and the gates will open at 10 a.m.
With the weather expected to cooperate, the crowd will be a large one with a Hambletonian hat giveaway and plenty of family outdoor activities in the Backyard. Outdoor seating may be reserved and reservations for indoor dining are very limited so call 201.460.4079 right away to inquire.
Of interest to the horseplayer, horizontal wager guarantees are increased on Saturday and a free program for the entire card (courtesy of The Meadowlands and TrackMaster) is available for download.
For those unable to attend, the Hambletonian and Oaks along with the Sam McKee Memorial FFA pace will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network from 4-5:30 p.m. Hosts Justin Horowitz, Dave Brower and Gary Seibel will describe the action.
All pertinent information may be found on The Meadowlands or Hambletonian Society websites.
- Seven And Seven, Jake could carry drivers to first Hambo crowns (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
Saturday’s (Aug. 5) two Hambletonian elimination races include two horses with identical morning-line odds and a driver on each looking for their first Hambo crown ever. The 8-1 shot Seven And Seven, driven by Mark MacDonald and trained by Tom Durand, will leave from post two in a field of 10 in the Hambletonian’s second elimination heat (race nine). While Jake also at 8-1, could bear Dan Dube to the winner’s circle from post nine in the first heat (race eight).
- $1 million Hambletonian broadcast live on CBS Sports Network Saturday Aug. 5 (Thursday, August 03, 2017)
CBS Sports Network will present a 90-minute telecast of the $1 million Hambletonian, live from the Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday (Aug. 5), from 4-5:30 p.m. (EDT). The Hambletonian is the first and most prestigious leg of the Trotting Triple Crown.CBS Sports Network, which has been the broadcast home of the Hambletonian since 2012, also will air the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, and provide coverage of the $224,000 Sam McKee Memorial Pace.