from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — The best bet in harness racing just got even better.

For the month of February, Meadowlands Racetrack’s Pick Four pool guarantees will be raised to $75,000 on Fridays and $100,000 on Saturdays.

Offered nightly on races six through nine, the Pick Four features a low 15 percent takeout and high return rate. The Pick Four paid an average of $4,313 in 2010, returning more than $1,000 over 50 percent of the time. The wager paid a record $70,446 on March 26, 2010.

The Pick Four has remained strong in 2011 with an average pool size of $78,652 through the first 11 cards and a season’s best $14,745 payout on Jan. 15.

Meadowlands harness racing to be simulcast Down Under

Meadowlands Racetrack’s Thursday and Saturday harness racing cards will be simulcast in Australia and New Zealand during a two-month trial to commence Feb. 3.

The Meadowlands races will be televised on Sky Racing2 through March 26.

“Sky Racing is pleased to begin a trial with the acclaimed USA venue, Meadowlands,” said Sky Racing Chief Operating Officer Brendan Parnell. “It’s the first step in what we hope leads to regular USA racing being imported into Australia.”

The Meadowland cards, which will be offered on a separate pool basis, will air Friday and Sunday mornings Down Under.

“We’re very excited here at the Meadowlands to begin simulcasting our harness racing into Australia and New Zealand,” said Assistant Vice President of Racing Development and Distribution Alex Dadoyan. “International distribution is a key growth area for wagering. There is a strong harness racing following Down Under and we look forward to the punters there being able to regularly follow the best harness racing in America.”

Trainer Chris Ryder, a New Zeland native who has ranked among the Meadowlands’ top trainers over the last 15 years, will be featured on the track’s Thursday card simulcast. Ryder will talk about his own starters and discuss some of the angles punters can look for on the inaugural simulcast of Meadowlands racing Down Under. Fans can e-mail questions for Ryder to answer on air to racing@thebigm.com.

Brower goes live with Meadowlands fans on Facebook

Members of Meadowlands Racetrack’s Facebook Fan Page will be able to interact live with oddsmaker and television host Dave Brower each racing night beginning Thursday, Feb. 3.

Brower will invite fans to talk about their selections in each race as well as provide his own picks. Plus, he will give the railbird’s-eye view on warm-ups, speed trends, late scratches and changes and other up-to-the-minute racing information.

To interact with Brower and get all the latest updates from their favorite track, fans simply have to “Like” Meadowlands Racetrack’s Fan Page.