Lederman to call Thursdays at Big M

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – For the next two weeks, they’ll be an extra night of racing at The Meadowlands for fans to enjoy, and as an added bonus, when live action takes place Thursday (Dec. 2) evening, they’ll be a pot of gold waiting for players and a familiar voice will be calling the races.

The 20-cent Pick-6 pool will be overflowing since the bet failed to yield a winning ticket last weekend (Nov. 26-27), so there is a carryover of $20,096 heading into Thursday’s card. The Pick-6 will span races four through nine. Free past performances are always available for all Meadowlands programs by going to playmeadowlands.com.

Some simple mathematics tell us why carryovers like these present a remarkable opportunity for bettors. To begin with, the carryover is not subject to the takeout. If the wager takes in $30,000 of “new money”, $4,500 would be removed for the “rake”, which would leave $45,500 in the total pool, a return to the player of 151 per cent instead of the normal 85.

“This is a traditional, non-jackpot Pick-6,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “So that just sweetens the pot for the educated horseplayers. The wager is priced with a low 15 per cent takeout and has a low base bet of 20 cents. Players will also love that there will be a negative takeout if the final Pick-6 pool is under $150,000. From a wagering standpoint, it just doesn’t get any better than this.”

LARRY THE LEGEND: One of the most popular race callers of this or any generation will be making an appearance at The Big M when live racing resumes.

Larry Lederman, who has been the announcer at Freehold Raceway, Garden State Park, Atlantic City Race Course and others during his career, will be on the microphone when racing takes place on Thursday.

THE SCHEDULE: Live racing will be conducted on a Thursday through Saturday basis both this week and next. Post time is 6:20 p.m.

The “Racing from The Meadowlands” live simulcast pre-game show gets underway on live race nights at 5:47 p.m.

Dave Brower and Dave Little will talk about what’s up in harness racing and analyze the evening’s featured events before every member of The Big M’s talent team gives out best bets and value plays.

Given the Pick-6 carryover, Jessica Otten and Shades will give out tickets on the wager Thursday night.

THE MENU: Thursday’s card has nine races, and as a result, the wagering menu has been adjusted for the bets with the biggest bang for the buck, those with the low 15 per cent takeout:

• Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5
• Race 2: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7
• Race 4: 20-cent Pick-6
• Race 6: 50-cent Pick-4 ($25,000 guaranteed pool)
• Race 9: 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta

HOT HANDS: One driver stood out from the crowd last weekend, as Yannick Gingras guided six winners.

COME OUT AND PLAY: It’s always best when watching and wagering on the action at The Meadowlands to come out and be there in person, but for those who either live too far away or can’t make it out to the races for any reason, they can still experience the best harness racing in the world several ways.

An affordable way to view not only the action at The Big M, but virtually all harness and Thoroughbred tracks, is to get a subscription to the Roberts Television Network. For more information, go to rtn.tv.

There are a handful of Advance-Deposit Wagering spots where one can wager on Meadowlands races. One such sight where you can make bets and watch the action live is the Television Games Network. For more information, go to tvg.com.

GET SOCIAL: Everything Meadowlands is available by going on Twitter. You can check in with the Big M team for early changes, racing information and staff selections by going to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

On race nights, stay in touch with Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1), Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover), Shades (@ShadesOnRacing) and Edison Hatter (@Edison_1999_).

WHO DOES BROWER LIKE? For expert selections and analysis of every Big M card, check out track oddsmaker Dave Brower’s race reviews.

For Brower’s input, which is generally available 48 hours before every card, go to playmeadowlands.com, then click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews”.

TOYS FOR TOTS: Former New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa will host a U.S. Marine Toys for Tots Holiday toy drive on Friday, Dec. 10 at The Meadowlands from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Enunwa will meet and greet guests who bring a new unwrapped toy. WPIX-11 sportscaster Justin Walters will be onsite for this special event.

Toys for Tots and Enunwa will personally deliver the collected toys to children at Harlem Grown – a charitable organization in Harlem whose mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability and nutrition.

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: This week’s edition of Thursday Night Football has the Dallas Cowboys traveling to New Orleans to take on the Saints in an 8:20 p.m. kickoff.

Despite being the road team, the Cowboys are a 6-point favorite who are -290 on the money line. The under/over is 47.

If prop bets are your thing, here are some alternate point spread plays: If you like the Cowboys +21½, you’d have to bet $8,000 to win $100. If you want Dallas at +1½, you would bet $320 to win $100.

The place where it all happens is the FanDuel Sportsbook, one of the best facilities of its type in the country. “The Book” is located in the grandstand at The Meadowlands and is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-1 a.m.; Friday 10 a.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday 7 a.m.-2 a.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.-12 a.m.

For more information, call 877-689-0662.

From The Meadowlands