This Friday and Saturday, Ken Warkentin, Dave Little and Joe Romanelli will perform their usual roles at The Meadowlands, serving as track announcer, TV host and back-paddock interviewer, respectively. But joining Little for both race cards will be a brand-new face to simulcast show viewers.
Meadow Twaddle, who currently works with the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association and is the co-host of the podcast “Hot 2 Trot,” will co-host alongside Little on the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set.
She also assists the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association with their marketing efforts, and worked with the Communications Dept. at Standardbred Canada over the past year.
Her father, Tim, is a veteran trainer, so “I’ve been involved with horses for as long as I can remember,” said Meadow.
The 23-year-old has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and marketing from Washington and Jefferson College. Her passion is making horse racing more accessible and exciting by sharing authentic, behind-the-scenes moments that highlight the people and heart of the sport, helping bring fans closer to the action.
“We are so happy to have Meadow on our broadcast,” said Jason Settlemoir, Meadowlands' Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “When trying to convince younger people to come out to the track and see what we have to offer, getting them to see someone closer to their own age on TV is always a good way to go. All of us at The Meadowlands are looking forward to having her be part of the show.”
PICK-6 PLAYERS WILL HAVE DOUBLE THE FUN AT BIG M
It’s been five weeks since The Meadowlands has conducted harness racing on a Friday night, and for those who are frequent Friday flyers, when racing takes place this Friday, Oct. 24, they will have a large pot of gold to shoot for.
The 20-cent Pick-6 failed to yield a winning ticket on both the last day before the break (Sept. 13) as well as the first day after (Oct. 18), creating a double carryover of $11,126.
With five figures sitting in the hat not subject to the already low 15 per cent takeout, the action figures to be fast and furious.
Here’s why.
Take Feb. 1, for instance. That’s when the only other double Pick-6 carryover of the year resulted in over $100,000 of “new money” crammed into a pool that totalled $128,543.
The mathematics for what could await players on Friday is impressive.
If $74,000 of new money were bet into the P6, that would create a total pool of $74,026. Thus, instead of a return of the normal 85 cents on the dollar to players, the payback would be 100 cents on the dollar to those holding winning tickets.
“Our fan base always gets excited when these opportunities come along,” said Settlemoir. “And, in the case of the Pick-6, this is only the second double carryover of the year, so our fans figure to take advantage of the chance to make a big score. Combine that with the Breeders Crown simulcast and our sportsbook offering fans a chance to watch and wager on the World Series, it should be a big night, and a big weekend, at The Meadowlands.”
The Pick-6 is offered nightly on races eight through 13.
There are 26 harness programs remaining on The Big M schedule for 2025. Live action will take place every Friday and Saturday through the end of the year. In addition, six Thursdays have been added to the schedule. Those dates are Nov. 6, 13 and 20 and Dec. 4, 11 and 18. First post time is 6:20 p.m.
(with files from The Meadowlands)