Big crowd, European wagering generate big Hambo numbers

The eyes of the world were on harness racing at the Meadowlands as total wagering surpassed $8.3 million on Hambletonian Day. The $8,343,405 total was the third highest handle in harness racing history, trailing only the $8.8 million wagered on the 2002 Hambletonian and $9 million wagered in 2005.

 

European wagering was up 72 percent over the previous year, with a record total of $1,968,994 bet on races simulcast to Scandinavia and France (vs. $1,146,225 in 2008).  For the first time, the Hambletonian Day card featured the top 2-year-old trotting stakes, the $525,800 Merrie Annabelle and $523,600 Peter Haughton, in addition to the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-olds.

 

“We worked hard this year to increase our international distribution of harness racing’s premier product,” said NJESA CEO Dennis Robinson.  “Those efforts paid off as we nearly doubled European wagering on the Hambletonian Day simulcast.”

 
A crowd of 25,754 turned out to watch Muscle Hill’s record performance in the $1.5 million Hambletonian, an increase of 3 percent over the 2008 total of 25,006.