After cashing some big cheques in the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series at Yonkers Raceway last month, Take All Comers was clearly the one to beat in the Friday, Jan. 23 feature at The Meadowlands and the Jim Campbell trainee delivered as the 1-5 public choice in rein to Colin Kelly.

In the $34,722 Winners Over Trot, Take All Comers was away alertly from post five in the eight-horse field and grabbed the point out of the first turn before yielding the lead to 5-2 second choice Resolve To Win (Brett Beckwith), who stopped the clock at the quarter while parked in :27.4.

With the field’s two best horses racing one-two, there wasn’t much action down the backside, as Resolve To Win strode past the half in :56.1 and three-quarters in 1:25.2.

Midway down the stretch, Kelly, whose pair of five-win nights last weekend ended Beckwith’s six-week stranglehold as The Big M’s Driver of the Week winner, tipped Take All Comers out of the pocket and the duo methodically made up ground on the leader before striding clear to a safe-as-could-be, one-length score in 1:54.1. Super Duper Cooper (Jacob Cutting) was explosive late to get second over stablemate Resolve To Win.

“It was an ideal trip for the horse off his qualifier [which he won in 1:54.4],” said Kelly. “He could have cut it [on the front end]. [This win] was well-deserved. This horse is a true gentleman. I never asked him, to be completely honest with you. I was pretty confident when he got loose. He has a lot of back class and knows what he’s doing.”

An eight-year-old gelded son of Creatine-Nantab, Take All Comers now has 25 wins from 81 lifetime tries and soared over $1.4 million in earnings for New Jersey-based owner and co-breeder Runthetable Stables. 

He paid $2.60 to win.

The rivalry between Kelly and Beckwith picked up right where it left off last week, as both drivers recorded three wins on the 14-race card. A week ago, Kelly won 10 times. Beckwith was next with seven scores.

Meadow Twaddle, the 23-year-old co-host of the podcast Hot 2 Trot, was back on the Sam McKee Memorial Set on Friday night and was once again picking winners. Twaddle finished the night with six on top, including best bet Rock On Line ($6 to win in the second race), EA Mushu ($7.40 in the 11th) and Leave And Roll ($7.20 in the 12th). Her on-set partner, Big M TV veteran Dave Little, gave out five on top and treated his followers to the early Pick-4, where they cashed in for $130 if they played Little’s $1 base-bet ticket.

A carryover of $4,271 enticed players to pump $16,737 of “new money” into the 20-cent Pick-6 pool, and after a sequence where winners' odds were 4-5, 4-1, 1-5, 5-2, 5-2 and 12-1, winning tickets were exchanged for $1,903.10.

All-source handle on Friday's 14-race program was $2,980,371 USD, the biggest single night of business at The Meadowlands in 2026.

In an effort to get everyone home earlier than usual with the expected snowstorm on the way early Sunday morning, Saturday’s race card will have a first-race post time of 6 p.m. The Big M simulcast pre-game show will kick off at 5:35 p.m., with Twaddle being joined by Debbie Little, who will serve as the on-set host. Little is the associate editor and columnist for Harness Racing Update.

Because of the expected inclement weather, Sunday’s race card has been cancelled. Simulcasting and wagering at the FanDuel Sportsbook are expected to be available, but guests are advised to check The Big M website at playmeadowlands.com before heading out.

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)