Thursday night's live card at the Meadowlands Racetrack will open a cornucopia of pari-mutuel delights at the ‘Big M’, as a total of 38 races, the majority of which will be filled to capacity, will be on the menu over the course of the next few days.

Peter Kleinhans will “Borrow Ken's Binoculars" and call the 10-race Thursday card this week. Kleinhans has done it all in the biz, including – but not limited to – horse owner, trainer, amateur driver and occasional television personality. His resume includes stints as the race caller at the now-defunct Lakeshore Meadows, as well as Hoosier Park, Chester Downs (now Harrah's Philadelphia) and the Red Mile.

With all of the local competition for horse flesh closed for the year or on holiday hiatus, racing secretary Pete Koch found nearly 400 entries (more than double the usual amount) in his entry box for Friday and Saturday's double draw and will end 2018 with an embarrassment of riches from which to create large and competitive fields.

Along with the equine talent, the driver's room is awash with talent as well creating an environment which finds the horseplayer flush with options for bolstering the holiday bankroll.

Continuing the gambling theme, this week's lead promotion is Saturday's World Harness Handicapping Contest (WHHC) qualifier. The beautiful part of the contest is that the cost to enter is a very user-friendly zero, zip, nada. The contest is free to play and the winner will receive a seat at the table in the $150,000 (estimated) April 6, 2019 WHHC final valued at $1,300.

Post time for each of the programs will be at 7:15 each evening.

(With files from the Meadowlands Racetrack)