For photos from the Meadowlands contact Lisaphoto@playmeadowlands.com

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Are You Playing the Meadowlands?

If not, the question has to be why?  Right now, the Meadowlands is the best value for the recreational and serious gambler.  Find me one other track where you can get so many solid win or longshot payoffs for horses winning.  Clearly, the value is there.

Sure, there are some favorites that win and even a few odds-on horses crossing the wire first but for the most part, while the handicapping has become a little more difficult, the rewards for selecting a winner are greater than ever.  Even if you are someone who bets every race (likely a recreational gambler), it has come to the point where winning one race all night may be all you need to come out ahead or at least make it an inexpensive evening. 

Of course, the way you have been handicapping may need to change.  I myself am still tweaking my handicapping, but I know when it comes to my favorite wager, the Daily Double, if I pick two horses looking like favorites, to win both halves of the Double, the selection is an automatic toss.  Quite honestly, the chance of two favorites winning in a row has become so small, it is not worth the risk of backing the favorites in the Double.  Even just following class hikes in the classified races can be profitable.  Last week Camart Hanover won a C-2 dash over 1 1/16 miles and drew the rail this week in C-1 company at a mile distance.  Granted, it is difficult figuring a horse that is coming off an odd distance race back to a mile when there is no standard reporting such as the time at the mile or a mile rate for the race overall, but letting him go at 27-1?  Backing Camart Hanover just because the odds were too high for a horse that won last week would have brought home a $56.60 mutuel.

Time will tell if this lasts, but right now you can't dispute the fact Racing Secretary Peter Koch has done a very good job putting together competitive fields.  Come March when other area tracks start opening up we will have to see what happens but right now, being away from the endless parade of favorites or near favorites winning is a welcome site.

Keep you parade of favorites you get at other tracks, the Meadowlands is the track for me.


For something different, I found the following race from Argentina.  If you understand Spanish, you will appreciate the race more.  Granted, the red truck following the field was somewhat distracting, but if you look at the racetrack, it is nice and simple, nary a tote board in the infield.  What's nice is the country feel, a place you can  go to relax and wager; hopefully going home with more than you came with.  In some ways, it is a shame American tracks don't have this relaxed an atmosphere.  I would love to see someone try to have a racetrack like this in the States and see how it works out.
 

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder how people who hit the late double last night feel about the "value" you speak of. Payoffs like that are what helped to destroy the game in the first place.

Anonymous said...

obviously there is good value at the big m, however, if you play there, you are playing against some sharp bettors. value is the name of the game, but if you are betting against sharps, then is the value really value?

Anonymous said...

The Argentine race shown in your blog reminds me of Orangeville Raceway which in the 70's/80's was located in Orangeville Ontario about 60 miles north of Toronto. I spent many Sunday afternoon's there. Racing was unpredictable, as I remember having a $100 bet (a sizeable bet at that time) on a horse that was 15-20 lengths on top at the top of the stretch. You guessed it...the horse lost. Today that track site is a shopping mall.

Appreciate the effort you put into your blog. I log on daily.The Six Nations Indian Reserve near Brantford Ontario has just proposedto build a new Harness Track on their land. Your thoughts comments on this development would be quite inteesting.

Anonymous said...

I've been handicapping about 50 years and have no idea what Anonymous from 10:37pm means.

Value is a decent return on your money and only you can decide what amounts to decent. If the pool is filled with what you call sharp bettors, what's the difference if the payoffs are good? Winning makes you a sharp bettor too.

That Blog Guy said...

The idea behind The Six Nations Indian Reserve having racing is an interesting concept. My understanding is they would claim it as part of their soverign nation which I guess would preclude it from the OnSS unless some type of compact was made. Also, as a soverign nation would they join SC or accept the rules of the ORC with regards to licensing and juding? Some interesting questions which need to flesh out.

Of course, how many days of racing and purse structure are also issues to be resolved.

That Blog Guy said...

I would argue it was the win price in the13th race which was wrong, not the double. A horse moving up one class of a win, drawing the rail had no business paying $56.60. The WIN price was out of wack. Nothing wrong with the double price.

Anonymous said...

With all due respect, it would be a weak argument, as the exotic payoffs for the 13th reflected the horses $56 mutuel ($260 exacta with the FAVORITE second, $2000+ tri with the second choice 3rd). The only "wrong" payoff was the double, which paid about 25% of the "proper" price. Maybe YOU thought the horse should be a shorter price, but the PUBLIC did not, and all the 13th race payoffs prove that. But clearly it wasn't the public that took down a huge portion of the double pool, leaving the "others" that bet the number with an incredibly sour taste.

That Blog Guy said...

Without seeing the tote reports, it is hard to say what transpired. The only thing I would point out is the Double it played before there is any indication of odds for the second half. Those playing doubles may have seen the probables being so high that they bet it because it was an overlay.

My suggestion is if you think there was something wrong with the payoff of the Double, is to visit the NJRC website and send them a note questioning the payoff and asking them to investigate. They will investigate and respond to you.