As if the plethora of activities weren’t enough to get you off the couch and heading to The Meadowlands for Hambletonian 100 Day on Saturday (Aug. 2), once track-goers get to the mile oval, they will have an opportunity to meet and greet one of the best of all time.
The great Muscle Hill, regarded by many in the harness game as the greatest horse the sport has ever seen, will be in the Backyard from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The 2009 Hambletonian champion, unbeaten in 12 starts during his 3-year-old campaign, will be available for picture taking. For those looking for a cool souvenir, patrons can enter the “losing ticket drawing” for a chance to win a Muscle Hill hoof print autograph or poster.
Need more? How about Muscle Hill won’t be the only star in the house.
Market Share, winner of the 2012 Hambletonian, will be on hand leading the post parade for the Hambletonian as the track’s Alumni Ambassador.
For more Hambletonian Day fun, the Backyard will be filled with inflatables, a mechanical shark, carnival games, music by DJ ALX and face painters.
For those who’d like to meet their favorite horsemen face-to-face, they should head to the HarnessRacing.com tent between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to get autographs and take some photos with many of the trainers and drivers who will be participating on the Hambo Day program.
NEED TO KNOW BASIS: What follows is a list of things fans attending the Hambletonian need to know before attending the races:
· Gates open at 10 a.m.
· Admission is $5; all paying adults will receive a Hambletonian baseball cap
· There will be a cigar roller on the Paddock Level
· Food trucks will be on the East Apron and throughout the Backyard
· Kiddie rides will be available from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
· Hambletonian Hat contest: 1:40 p.m. (after race 5; will be judged by TV personality Carson Kressley)
· Best-dressed contest: 2:05 p.m. (after race 6; will be judged by influencer Caitlyn Warakomski)
· Interviews with Kressley, New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, Big M Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Gural, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hambletonian Society John Campbell and Editor of DRF Harness Derick Giwner will be conducted during the course of the card on the in-house simulcast show
· Hambletonian drivers’ parade: 4:05 p.m.
· Last-race post time: 6:48 p.m.
HAMBO DAY STAKES: The Hambletonian Day card is the strongest of the year in the sport.
Need proof?
This is the list of the stakes events that will be contested on Saturday:
· $1,000,000 Hambletonian
· $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks
· $227,350 Cane Pace
· $95,650 Shady Daisy
· $300,000 John Cashman Memorial
· $181,000 Dr. John Steele Memorial
· $262,050 Sam McKee Memorial (2 divisions)
· $139,000 Lady Liberty
· $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final (2-year-old colt and gelding trot)
· $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final (2-year-old filly trot)
· Total: $3,155,050
BETTING BONANZA: The action on Hambletonian Day promises to be fast and furious, and features three 50-cent Pick-4 wagers instead of the usual two. In addition, four of the multi-leg wagers on the program will offer guaranteed pools totaling $350,000.
The featured Hambletonian Day wagers are:
Races 1-6: 20-cent Pick-6 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
Races 3-7: 20-cent Pick-5 ($75,000 guaranteed pool)
Races 5-8: 50-cent Pick-4
Races 6-12: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7
Races 9-12: 50-cent Pick-4 ($125,000 guaranteed pool)
Races 12-15: 50-cent Pick-4 ($100,000 guaranteed pool)
POST TIME FOR THE BIG ONES: Hambletonian Day will feature a 16-race card. The first race will get underway at noon. Post time for the Hambletonian (Race 12) is 4:47 p.m. The Hambletonian Oaks (Race 10) will head to the gate at 3:37 p.m.
HAMBLETONIAN DAY TV: In addition to coverage on FOX 5 from 3-6 p.m. of the 100th Hambletonian, there are other ways to view what happens on the biggest day in harness racing.
They are:
· CBS Sports Network: Sunday, Aug. 3, 3 p.m. (replay)
· PrimeTime Racing: All day coverage
· Racetrack Television Network: (rtn.tv) Free streaming of The Meadowlands In-house show from playmeadowlands.com
· Meadowlands Facebook page: All day coverage
· Meadowlands YouTube channel: All day coverage
· HarnessRacing.com Preview Show: Hosted by Wendy Ross and Emily Gaskin; live at 11 a.m. on Vimeo and USTA social media platforms Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube
· FanDuel TV: Live on-site
BIG M STILL FOXY: For a fifth consecutive year, the TV teams at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Meadowlands are combining forces to bring high-caliber harness racing stakes events to a coast-to-coast audience over the networks of FOX Sports as part of NYRA’s “America’s Day at the Races” telecasts.
The next broadcast will be Hambletonian Day, Saturday (Aug. 2), when the 100th edition of the $1-million Hambletonian can be seen in the New York-Metropolitan area on FOX 5 New York from 3-6 p.m.
-edited release (Meadowlands)