The fifth race on Friday, Jan. 24 might look ordinary to those who follow racing at The Meadowlands on a regular basis, but the man it honours was anything but ordinary.

The $10,000 USD claiming pace pays tribute to slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who undoubtedly would have loved the fact that the mile dash in his honour is a mixed-race event that will feature five African-American drivers. The MLK Day holiday was Jan. 20, five days after what would have been King’s 96th birthday.

King wanted a world where people of all races would get along, and one of the many of his quotes that carried enormous impact was: “We must learn to live together as brothers or we will die together as fools.”

The African-American quintet of Jim King Solomon, DeShawn Sample, Yogi Sheridan, William Carter and Brandon Cruse will take on Bradley Chisholm, Justin Irvine, Justin Huckabone, Tyler Miller and Braxten Boyd in the $11,000 USD race that has been dubbed the “Martin Luther King Remembrance Race.”

“All of us at The Meadowlands are so pleased to be having this event that recognizes one of the most important figures in American history,” said Jason Settlemoir, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager at The Meadowlands. “Dr. King’s beliefs, along with his ability to motivate people to protest peacefully, went a long way toward advancing the rights of African-Americans both back in the 1960s, as well as today, when his legacy continues to live on.”

During the month of January, live racing will be conducted every Friday and Saturday with a first-race post-time of 6:20 p.m. The “Racing from The Meadowlands” pre-game show starts at 5:45 p.m. The Meadowlands offers free program pages for every race card on its website at playmeadowlands.com.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)