Meadowlands Racetrack's Saturday, May 11 program will provide a good look into a rebuilding New Jersey Sire Stakes (NJSS) program, one that is especially on the rebound on the pacing side, and features a horse on the trotting side that is the early favourite for the 99th edition of The Hambletonian.
During the course of the night, there will be nine $30,000 USD NJSS divisions for three-year-olds contested, six on the trot and three on the pace.
Race four, the second of a trio of colt and gelding trots, is where fans can find the biggest star of the night, as Dan Patch Award winner Karl looks to begin his march toward The Hambletonian. The son of Tactical Landing-Avalicious qualified in brilliant fashion in a sensational 1:52.1 on April 27 to get ready for this first test of his sophomore campaign. Karl is driven by Yannick Gingras and trained by Nancy Takter, who is after a second consecutive Hambletonian score, after taking last year’s edition with Tactical Approach.
On Saturday, The Meadowlands presents its second annual Steaks And Stakes event. There will be delicious food from local food trucks and restaurants available to titillate the palates of all who attend the races. In addition, attendees can enter to win a three-night stay at Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas and Rolling Stones tickets. One must be on site to enter and claim prizes. Drawings will be at 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. For complete information and to register to compete, visit playmeadowlands.com.
Live harness racing takes place Friday and Saturday at The Meadowlands with a first-race post time of 6:20 p.m. The “Racing from The Meadowlands” pre-game show begins both nights at 5:45 p.m.
Starting this weekend, The Meadowlands will conduct back paddock interviews with drivers and trainers as their top trotters and pacers make their return to the racetrack. The main objective is to talk with horsepeople that have horses coming off the bench in the night’s multi-leg wagers.
With the early Pick 5 getting underway in Race 1, paddock interviews will take place throughout the pre-game show. There will also be interviews leading up to the late Pick 5 beginning in Race 8 and the $50,000 guaranteed Pick 4 sequences that begin in Races 6 and 10.
“This is something a customer sent in to us, so we are going to give it a shot," said Jason Settlemoir, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. "We are looking to get as much information to our customers as possible."
If you miss the interview live, you will be able to find them on the track's YouTube Channel at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment @MeadowlandsRacetrack.
Past performances for every race of every Meadowlands card are available on the track's website.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)