This weekend's fourth race on Saturday, Jan. 17 at The Meadowlands is, by racetrack standards, ordinary. But the man the race honours was anything but.
The TrackMaster 74.5 pace is the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Race, named for the slain civil rights leader. It is a dash that features all African-American drivers.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Martin Luther King Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1929 and died on April 4, 1968. He was a Baptist minister and social activist who led the civil rights movement in the United States from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination.
His leadership was fundamental to that movement’s success in ending the legal segregation of African-Americans in the South and other parts of the United States. King rose to national prominence as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which promoted non-violent tactics, such as the massive March on Washington (in 1963) to achieve civil rights.
Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
His legacy lives on, even with young African-Americans.
William Carter is a driver who has distinguished himself on the Maryland circuit. He won 170 races during 2023 and added another 181 victories a year ago. Pretty good for someone who won’t turn 22 until this summer.
He’s a harness racing lifer, who won the MLK Pace at The Big M at age 18.
And he is well aware of the history associated with Dr. King.
"He’s had a lot of significance [on my life]," said Carter. "He wanted everyone to be equal. [With regard to race relations in this country,] it’s getting better. We try to treat everyone the way we want to be treated."
Carter's father, Billy, got him interested in the game at a very early age.
"I always wanted to be a driver from day one," said Carter.
Carter will go for his second MLK Pace win with Warrawee Xceed, who has been performing steadily of late at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
The young driver is optimistic that more African-American drivers will be seen in the sulky down the road.
"There are a lot of black drivers in Mississippi that are coming up and they have as much talent as anybody else," said Carter. "What it takes is opportunity. There are also several drivers that are doing well in Kentucky."
There’s little doubt, though, that whoever lines up alongside him Saturday, Carter will be trying his best to win another MLK Pace.
“There was so much going through my mind [in deep stretch with 2023 MLK Pace winner Maddox Hanover],” said Carter. “It was my first drive at The Meadowlands. That was a great feeling.”
This weekend, John Rallis, who divides his on-camera time between The Big M and Woodbine Mohawk Park when not serving as associate editor and columnist at TROT Magazine, will sit alongside Dave Little on the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set and serve as co-host for all three shows. In several weeks, Rallis will be at the Dan Patch Awards dinner to receive the 2025 Rising Star Award from the United States Harness Writers Association. Ken Warkentin will be in his usual spot atop the stands calling the action. Joe Romanelli will handle back-paddock interviews and FanDuel TV (FDTV) commentary and selections on Friday and Saturday while Gary DiLeo will handle those chores on Sunday.
Post time on Friday and Saturday is 6:20 p.m. while Sunday racing will begin at 12:30 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)