East Rutherford, NJ — The Meadowlands is known for good business and good racing in the wintertime, but even the track’s biggest supporters — whether management or fan — might have been a tad surprised at how things transpired at the mile oval over the course of the eight racing programs during the month of February.

On the track, nobody did it better than driver Yannick Gingras. During the month, Gingras (who won 13 times during the opening weekend) visited the winner’s circle 33 times. His win percentage was a gaudy 33 and he hit the board 57 percent of the time. The next three most prolific winning drivers — Dexter Dunn (14), Andy Miller (11) and Corey Callahan (9) — all did well yet combined to win only one more race than Gingras did all by himself.

Trainer Ron Burke (who not surprisingly uses Gingras as his go-to pilot) also amassed remarkable February numbers, winning 18 of 46 starts, good for a win percentage of 39.

Wagering at the sport’s industry leader hit high gear during February when a total of $23,122,405 was pushed through the windows. Average handle per card was $2,890,300, while $222,330 was bet per race.

The Big M’s popular low takeout (15 percent) multi-leg bets saw plenty of play. The eight February 50-cent Pick-5 pools took $480,160 in action, averaging $60,020 per, while the 50-cent Pick-4 handled $788,568, good for an average pool of $98,571.

Last Saturday (Feb. 23), shrewd handicappers hit big when playing the wagers. The Pick-5 saw no winning favorites during its sequence, and as a result, those holding winning tickets cashed in for $14,703. On the same night, the Pick-4 came back an extremely appealing $4,492 despite a pair of winning “figure” horses. During that sequence, there was one winner who paid $7.80 as a second choice and another who came back $4.20 as the even-money favorite, with both driven by Gingras. The challenge for those who hit was having one 20-1 shot and one 15-1 chance, both of whom went inside trips as a contentious pace with a live outer flow unfolded around them, a common Meadowlands occurrence.

The average Pick-5 payoff during February was $3,264 while the Pick-4 yielded $1,207.

Free program pages for the Pick-4s for the upcoming Friday and Saturday programs are available — as always — by going to www.ustrotting.com or www.playmeadowlands.com.

When racing resumes Friday at 7:15 p.m., 20-cent Jackpot Super High-Five players have a pair of healthy carryovers to shoot for. In the fifth race, $54,633 will be the starting point, while in the 13th race, $14,065 will be up for grabs.

February might be over, but there is much to look forward to in March. The first of two substantial purse increases takes effect Friday. One such increase will be reflected in the seventh race Preferred Handicap for pacers, where the purse, which had been $21,000, will now offer $25,000 for the top five finishers to divvy up.

“Good weather, competitive racing and full fields led to us having a great month of February,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The support of our horsemen was a big factor on how well things went. Starting this week, we hope to continue to get their support as we offer bigger purses, which should provide our fans with the wagering opportunities — specifically big fields — they want.”

Countdown To Madness: College basketball’s yearly stranglehold on the sports world begins March 19, as “March Madness” gets underway. For the first time ever, Meadowlands fans can watch and wager on each and every one of the games in the Big M’s FanDuel Sportsbook.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: On Friday (March 1), spend an evening with Elvis Presley impersonator Ralph Carey, who will take you through the career of “The King.” There will be music, laughter and memories, and you get the show plus a buffet dinner for only $29.95. Call 201.THE.BIGM for reservations.

Catch The Fever: On March 1 and 2, there will literally be plenty of money up for grabs at the Meadowlands. Six contestants will be selected to spend 30 seconds in the track’s “Cash Money Machine” and grab as much green as they can before the clock runs out. To be eligible, one must enter before the fifth race with the contest to take place after the sixth.

Contestants must “catch and hold” as much cash as they can. The available denominations are $1, $2, $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 and $500. While in the money machine, participants must face forward and catch the cash, no bending down or turning around will be allowed. All monies must be collected in the provided cooler bag. No money in pockets or hugged to the body will count towards the prize money.

WHHC Qualifier: On Saturday (March 16), there will be a last chance $200 qualifier for the World Harness Handicapping Championship at the Big M. For complete information, click here.