Five million reasons to check out the Big M Saturday feature
At 0h04, on November 15, 2024 • By Meadowlands Media Relations
It would be hard to find a stronger field of horses anywhere to rival those that will get in behind the gate Saturday (Nov. 16) at The Meadowlands in the featured $40,000 Preferred Handicap for trotters, in which, several of the competitors will be prepping for the Nov. 30 FanDuel Championships Open Trot.
Of the seven horses in the field, five have lifetime bank accounts that are in excess of $1 million, topped by the leading horse in the older trotting division this season — and current eighth-ranked horse in the weekly Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll — Winner’s Bet, who will start out at 2-1 on the morning line from post four in the 10th race.
The Nancy Takter trainee is in the midst of a stakes streak, having taken the Hill Memorial, Caesars and Breeders Crown in his last three stakes starts. Dexter Dunn, who guided six Breeders Crown winners three weeks ago at The Big M to give him the inside track on a fifth Dan Patch Driver of the Year Award in the last six years, will be in the sulky. He currently sits atop the North American money-earnings drivers’ list with $15.6 million.
Periculum (5-2) is the leading money-winning horse in the older male trotting division this year, having hit the board in 12 of 15 seasonal starts, with his big victory coming in the Maple Leaf Trot. The Marcus Melander student, who will leave from post seven, will be driven by defending Dan Patch Driver of the Year Scott Zeron.
Steele Memorial winner M-M’s Dream, off a third-place finish in the Breeders Crown Mare Trot, will start out at 5-1 from post one for driver David Miller and trainer Ron Burke. Oh Well (6-1, post five, Todd McCarthy, Melander), the 2022 Mohawk Million champion, and Hillexotic (8-1, post six, Yannick Gingras, Todd Luther), the 2023 Dayton Derby winner, round out the field’s quintet of seven-figure standouts.
