After a four-week hibernation while the Thoroughbreds took the spotlight, the Standardbreds will be back racing over the mile oval at The Meadowlands on Saturday, Oct. 17, as the Fall Meeting resumes its march to the end of 2026.
Fans of all horse racing will get to watch both breeds this weekend, as the final evening of Thoroughbred turf action takes place on Friday, Oct. 16 with a 7 p.m. post time.
“The four weeks of turf racing provided some variety for our regular customers,” said Jason Settlemoir, Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “But now, it’s time to get back to what we are known for here at The Big M, the best harness racing in the world.”
The temperatures will continue to cool down as fall advances toward winter, but the harness action will remain hot through the end of the year. The pacers and trotters will be in action at The Big M every Friday and Saturday through the end of 2026, with just one exception, as there is no live racing on Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25. In addition, there are three Thursday cards on the calendar: Dec. 3, 10 and 17. All told, there are 23 nights of live Meadowlands harness racing remaining this year and each has a post time of 6:20 p.m.
There are still some major dates worth circling on the calendar, starting with Saturday, Oct. 31, when four $125,000 USD Kindergarten finals for two-year-olds of each sex and gait are offered on the Halloween Night program.
Two weeks later, on Saturday, Nov. 14, the last major stakes card on The Meadowlands schedule takes place when estimated purses of $2.65 million USD will be up for grabs on Fall Four/FanDuel Championships Night. The eight stakes races that will take place that evening are: the $400,000 USD (est.) Valley Victory (two-year-old colt and gelding trot), $400,000 USD (est.) Governor’s Cup (two-year-old colt and gelding pace), $400,000 USD (est.) Goldsmith Maid (two-year-old filly trot), $400,000 USD (est.) Three Diamonds (two-year-old filly pace), $350,000 USD (est.) FanDuel Open Pace, $350,000 USD (est.) FanDuel Open Trot, $175,000 USD (est.) FanDuel Fillies & Mares Trot and $175,000 USD (est.) FanDuel Fillies & Mares Pace. All FanDuel events are for three-year-olds and up.
The 2026 Meadowlands stakes curtain will then fall when four $70,000 USD (est.) New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund finals for two-year-olds of each sex and gait will be contested on Saturday, Nov. 21.
The TV teams at The Meadowlands and the New York Racing Association will continue their partnership with two more live broadcasts of high-end Big M stakes action. Both Kindergarten Finals Night as well as Fall Four/FanDuel Championships Night will be televised as part of the NYRA’s “America’s Day at the Races” series. The Kindergarten races take place on Saturday, Oct. 31, and will be on Fox Sports 2 (FS2) from 8-11 p.m., while the FF4/FDC are on Saturday, Nov. 14, and will be broadcast on FS2 from 9-11 p.m.
The Meadowlands offers free program pages for every race of every race card on its website at playmeadowlands.com.
Upcoming on-track events include the second Jimmy Hoffa Cornhole Classic, hosted by the Garden State Cornhole Alliance, on Saturday, Oct. 17. The competition will be capped at 100 teams, so this is a first-come, first-served event. There will be cash prizes and each team will be guaranteed six matches, four for rounders (for seeding) and double elimination.
Bakers, pie lovers and competitive eaters are invited to bring their best recipes and biggest appetites to Pie Palooza on Saturday, Nov. 7. This festive celebration of one of America's favourite desserts will feature a pie-baking competition across four categories, cash prizes and a pie eating contest. For full details and to register visit, click here.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)