Balanced Mix Friday At The Big M

Published: December 29, 2016 11:28 am EST

Friday night's card at The Meadowlands offers another densely-populated twelve-race program with a balanced mix of six trotting races and six on the pace.

Friday's trotting feature is the seventh race for a purse of $18,000. The ten-horse field led by a pair of stakes-tested four-year-old mares starting from the far outside posts.

Kelseys Keepsake (post nine) picked up cheques in both the $170,000 Muscle Hill at Vernon Downs in August and the $200,000 TVG FFA final last month, facing the best of her division in both. She has been at her best recently, following up a solid second here at The Meadowlands by winning the Mare Open Trot The Meadows one week ago.

Kelseys Keepsake seems to maturing nicely under the tutelage of trainer Richie Johnson -- enjoying the best year of his career -- and has drawn the favor of the track handicapper, listed at 3-1 on the morning line for owners David Heffering and Barbara Bongiorno. Joe Bongiorno will drive.

Just to the right leaves Classical Annie from post ten at 4-1. She is closing out a six-figure season for the Burke Racing Stable after spending much of 2016 on the Grand Circuit stakes trail that included a fifth in the $250,000 Breeders Crown and fourth (just in advance of Kelseys Keepsake) in the $200,000 TVG FFA Final. Classical Annie has tactical speed and first-time driver Marcus Miller may need to use it to get her into the race early.

Friday's lead promotion is a $2,016 giveaway and there's still time to join the Own a Horse promotion if you sign up by December 31.

Horsemen are reminded of the NYE party offered by The Meadowlands and Allerage Farms to ring out the old and ring in the new on Saturday night.

First race post time is 7:15 p.m.

(with files from The Meadowlands)

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