All-source wagering totalled $3,237,137 on Friday – the biggest Friday of business this year – followed by a Saturday that saw $3,782,327 of action, for a total of $7,019,464.
There have been 29 programs conducted in 2021, and 20 of them have seen betting of at least $3 million. During all of 2020, the $3-million plateau was reached a total of 11 times.
Whether the winners paid big or small, the betting remained prolific. On Friday, there were but two winning favourites, while the next night saw a half-dozen public choices visit the winner’s circle. The Saturday night chalks did not make the average payouts of some of the more popular bets unappealing, however. The average win payout was $17.73 while the exactas averaged $114, trifectas $829 and Pick-3s $804. The biggest scores were to be made by hitting the 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 ($7,625) and 20-cent Pick-5 ($3,083).
Business at The Meadowlands continued its remarkable run through the early early stages of 2021, as after a highly-successful first quarter, action at the mile oval stayed vigorous as the second quarter kicked off last weekend with a pair of $3 million handles, upping the total number of race cards that have surpassed that magic number to 18 on the year.
During all of 2020, the $3 million barrier was broken a total of 11 times.
Much of the success The Big M has experienced can be attributed to the half-dozen popular wagers offered nightly that offer a low takeout of 15 per cent. A prime example is last weekend’s action in the extremely popular Pick-4, when the bet – which is offered four times every weekend – took in a total of $367,866 of action, an average per pool of $91,966.
Big M Has Big First Quarter | Standardbred Canada standardbredcanada.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardbredcanada.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Why is The Meadowlands the industry’s handle leader? There are many factors that make the mile oval the most prolific in terms of average wagering per card in the game, with large field size and small takeouts on popular bets being the most influential.
But it is not only big bettors that fuel the bustling betting, but small players also have a sizeable say in making the Big M what it is, as they are able to get a lot of action for not a lot of money if they team up with other players to take on the track’s most popular puzzles.
Despite a month of crippling winter weather and the re-opening of racing in Ontario two weeks ago, betting at The Meadowlands has stayed on a roll. In fact, on Friday (March 5) night, management is hoping to up the track’s streak of wagering at least $3 million to an impressive 10th consecutive program.
“We say it often,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “But horseplayers have really responded in a big way to our low takeout wagering menu. With six of our popular 15 percent takeout wagers being offered every night, it has given players a more realistic chance to turn a profit, making The Big M the best place to play.”