Things are starting to heat up at The Meadowlands, and what better way to kick off the 14-week Championship Meet this weekend than with the top simulcast event in all of horse racing serving as a prelude to the beginning of the local harness stakes season with the opening leg of New Jersey Sire Stakes action on Saturday, May 4.
Meadowlands Racetrack will kick off its Championship Meet this Friday, May 3, with live harness racing every Friday and Saturday night with a 6:20 p.m. post time. The Championship Meet features more than $8 million USD in stakes races as well as event-filled weekends. The Championship Meet runs through Saturday, Aug. 3, Hambletonian Day.
The New Jersey Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacers kicks off on Saturday with three $30,000 USD dashes, two for colts and geldings and one for fillies.
Better Is Nice is the marquee performer. The son of Bettors Wish-Thatsoveryverynice is a Tony Alagna trainee, who earned more than $500,000 a year ago. He’ll depart from post eight in the seventh race event for males with Andy McCarthy doing the driving.
“We’re looking forward to his first [pari-mutuel] start on Saturday,” said Alagna. “I think he can go with the best colts when he’s on his game.”
The Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon and Meadowlands regulars, semi-regulars and three-times-a-year not-so-regulars are sure to be on hand to watch and wager on the “Run for the Roses."
Saturday's action will be non-stop as the first two races on the Meadowlands card will be contested before The Derby, with the remaining Big M dozen dashes to take place after the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports."
“This Saturday at The Meadowlands will be a call to post for those who have been waiting for the temperatures to rise and celebrate life on an action-filled afternoon and evening,” said Jason Settlemoir, Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “Live racing, the Kentucky Derby, our annual Beer Fest and UFC 301 will keep the action rolling all night long.
“The building has been full of energy lately. The racing at The Meadowlands has been great, and the Rangers and Knicks are on a terrific roll, so it’s an exciting time for everyone in the metropolitan area.”
A milestone headlines the racing and sports world as The Derby will have its 150th edition at historic Churchill Downs.
“We have run a Kentucky Derby every single year since 1875,” said Chris Goodlett, Curator of the Kentucky Derby Museum. “We've had two world wars, a depression and pandemics. We've always run a Kentucky Derby.”
Twenty of the top three-year-old Thoroughbreds in training will compete for the $5 million USD purse. Post time is set for 6:57 p.m.
The Derby’s companion event for fillies, The Kentucky Oaks, takes place on Friday at 5:51 p.m.
Meadowlands Requires Driver Approval By May 3
The Meadowlands is reminding all drivers who intend to participate in the 2024 Championship Meet that they must seek approval to drive by submitting a request to Jason Settlemoir at JSettlemoir@PlayMeadowlands.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)