The Meadowlands' Championship Meet hits full stride this week with not the usual two, but three stakes-laden racing programs.
Thursday has been added for the next two weeks and there will be 14 races on both Friday and Saturday to keep the overnight horses racing while the Jersey-bred freshman stakes begin.
There are five NJSS two-year-old trotting stakes on Thursday's nine-race card, with some of the most coveted and costly colts and fillies in North America embark upon what promise to be successful, perhaps even remarkable careers.
The three-year-old trotting fillies and colts will compete in four divisions of the WN Reynolds Stakes on Friday evening, among those are several highly-regarded Hambletonian hopefuls. Fast As The Wind, fresh off his imposing win in the Goodtimes Stakes, has moved to the top of the weekly "Road To The Hambletonian" poll and he will face last year's Breeders Crown winner Rebuff, who is making his first start on the season in race two.
Many of the top fillies are in the Reynolds, including last season's O'Brien and Dan Patch Award winner Venerable, the unbeaten in '22 Manon and Raised By Lindy, who was off as the favourite in the Breeders Crown squaring off in the third race.
The finest older Standardbreds in the land will convene at The Meadowlands on Saturday to compete for more than $600,000 in stakes purses.
The $131,250 Six Pack (Race 3), named for the multiple world champion now standing at Deo Volente Farm and whose first crop hits the sales this fall, will offer a six-pack of accomplished trotting mares, who have earned a combined $7 million in their careers. Atlanta is accountable for nearly half of that imposing sum herself and comes in off a successful trip to Canada, where she defeated chief rivals When Dovescry and Bella Bellini in the Armbro Flight. She will have to contend with that talented pair again on Saturday.
The Crawford Farms Open Trot (Race 6) carries a purse of $147,000 and pits 2021 Dan Patch Award winner for the division Forbidden Trade against Ecurie D, who took the Cutler Memorial in a world record 1:49.1 and has yet to taste defeat on American soil.
Perfect Sting won the Dan Patch Award for his division at both two and three and brought the championship gene with him to Deo Volente Farm of New Jersey, where he is currently standing his first season at stud. The $147,000 Open Mare Pace (Race 9) carries his name and lists among the 10 entrants the 2021 Dan Patch Horse of the Year Test Of Faith and last season's top older mare Lyons Sentinel.
The Roll With Joe, named for the stalwart New York pacing sire standing at Blue Chip Farms, split into a pair of contentious divisions (Races 8 and 10). Among the starters will be 2021 Dan Patch older pacer of 2021 Allywag Hanover, the iron-tough Charlie May and current phenom Bulldog Hanover, who comes in fresh off a 1:47, home in :24.4 on a Graduate field last week.
There are promotions aplenty this weekend, including Fan Appreciation night complete with reduced prices on concessions and fireworks on Saturday. The Meadowlands always provides free full card programs and plenty of selections from our panel of masterminds, who are currently competing in a handicapping battle where the winner is you!
The Meadowlands Racetrack and the New Jersey Standardbred Breeders and Owners have joined in partnership to encourage SBOA members to attend the races at the Meadowlands on Friday and Saturday nights during the Championship meet, which runs through Saturday, Aug. 6.
Post time each night is 6:20 p.m.
(Meadowlands)