Driver Joe Bongiorno kicked off a five-win night at The Meadowlands guiding four-year-old trotter Maximum Exposure ($2.80) to victory lane in the $19,863 co-featured second race on Friday, March 20.
In the conditioned trot for non-winners of two races, Bongiorno had the favoured Mike Terpolilli trainee on the point after a :27.1 quarter then cruised through middle splits of :57 and 1:27.3 en route to the 2-1/2-length victory in 1:54.4. Former New Jersey Sire Stakes winner Travolta Hanover (Mark Herschberger) out-finished sophomore colt Drinking Problems (Brett Beckwith) for the runner-up honours.
After going winless in 14 starts during his debut season in 2025 for five different trainers, Maximum Exposure has won both of his starts since joining Terpolilli's stable in 2026. The Muscle Hill-I Feel The Love gelding is owned by Elite Harness Racing of Myerstown, Pennsylvania.
After winning the second race, Bongiorno went right back out and won the next with the 14-year-old pacing mare Skateboard Chic ($10), trained by David Wiskow.
Bongiorno won again mid-card in a milestone moment for the trotter Mr Contestant ($13.20), who earned his 50th career win in his Meadowlands debut. Driving the 11-year-old Winning Mister-Lovely Challenge gelding for the first time, Bongiorno got him home first after an early break to beat out favourite Massive Matter (Herschberger) by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:54.2. Peter Pellegrino currently trains the 275-time starter with a career bankroll approaching $600,000 for owner Room4040 Llc Stables of Yorktown, New York.
Bongiorno later capped off the 14-race card with a sweep of the late Daily Double in rein to four-year-old pacing mare Century Liberty ($5.40) from the Kelly Lancaster-Dailey stable and 12-year-old trotter Masster Blue ($24.40), trained by John Novello.
Fresh off being named the track’s Driver of the Week for winning six races over the weekend of March 13-14, Bongiorno established himself as the odds-on favourite to win the award again.
Friday's co-featured pace for non-winners of two went the way of Miss Jum Jabber ($7), a three-year-old filly by Bettors Wish out of Grand Circuit stakes winner Teacherous Reign, who was driven by Patrick Ryder and stopped the clock in an eye-catching 1:51.1 in just her second career start for Pelling Racing of Creamridge, New Jersey.
“She’s a lovely filly. She’s always been great gaited, but honestly, she didn’t really give an indication that she would step out and be so competitive,” said winning trainer Brett Pelling. “She is [Sire Stakes] dual eligible, so after a leg or two in the Weiss at Pocono, I’ll make a call as to her future.”
Miss Jum Jabber went a four-hole trip to the half, then went first-over to win by a length after pacing her final quarter in :26.2. Sweetloveofmine (Beckwith) and Sundownsomewhere (Bongiorno) finished and second third, respectively.
The $1 Pick 8 went unhit for a 10th consecutive offering, pushing the carryover to six figures, at $100,659. Winners' odds for the sequence were 4-1, 8-5, 9-2, 5-2, 5-1, 6-1, 9-2 and 4-1. Those with six correct collected $971.
The 20-cent Pick-6 also failed to yield a winning ticket. The sequence had winners' odds of 6-1, 9-2, 4-1, 1-1, 9-1 and 8-5. Those with five correct cashed in for $67.34. The carryover is $4,444.
The $1 Pick 8 is offered nightly on races three through 10 while the 20-cent Pick-6 is available on dashes eight through 13.
All-source handle on the 14-race card totalled $2,326,268 USD.
Racing at The Meadowlands resumes on Saturday at 6 p.m.
(Standardbred Canada with files from Meadowlands Racetrack; photo of Maximum Exposure winning on March 20)