With a big crowd expected to be in attendance at MetLife Stadium to watch the New York Jets take on the New York Giants in a preseason National Football League game Friday (Aug. 28) night, The Meadowlands will not have live racing and will race only once this week, on Saturday, Aug. 29. First post time is 6:20 p.m.
Big M customers should also be aware that the track will close for simulcasting at 5 p.m. on Friday.
“While we won’t be here with live racing on Friday, we will be back on Saturday,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “And we have plenty going on that night. We will have a big 15-race program where we will offer three Pick-5s and three Pick-4s. We are expecting good weather and hope everyone comes out to play the races and have some great food at our BBQ Extravaganza.”
Moving forward, The Meadowlands will have just two weeks of harness racing before taking a four-week break.
Harness racing will be conducted on Sept. 4, 5, 11 and 12.
Then, the “Monmouth at The Meadowlands” mini-meet will be conducted with nine nights of Thoroughbred turf racing, which will be held on Sept. 18, 19, 25 and 26, and Oct. 2, 3, 9, 10 and 16. Post time is 7 p.m.
Harness racing will then return on Saturday, Oct. 17.
After that, there will be harness racing on Friday and Saturday for the rest of October and throughout November.
December will see a three-day-a-week schedule for the first three weeks of the month, with live action on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through the 19th. Then, after the 19th, there will be only one live harness card for the rest of the year, on the 26th.
The post time for all harness racing programs for the remainder of 2026 is 6:20 p.m.
SIMULCAST SHUTDOWN: Due to regular season National Football League action that will take place at MetLife Stadium, there will be no simulcasting offered at The Meadowlands on Sept. 13, 20 and 27.
HE SAID, SHE SAID: They won’t be revisiting their “Dueling Littles” schtick of the 1990s, but Dave and Debbie Little will make their return to the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set on Saturday night on The Big M’s live simulcast show.
The presentation gets underway at 5:45 p.m.
Next month, the Littles will celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary, and many of those years together were spent writing about and handicapping the races at all area harness tracks (the duo also did plenty of Thoroughbred handicapping as well) on the New York tabloid scene, where Dave spent 24 years at The Daily News, and Debbie, 27 years at The New York Post.
Debbie still has her foot very much in the harness racing door, currently serving as the associate editor and “Meadowlands Matters” columnist at Harness Racing Update.
Ken Warkentin will be in his usual spot at the top of the stands calling the action. Dave Little will handle winner’s circle interviews with winning connections of the featured events, which are a pair of $48,000 USD New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund finals for three-year-olds on the trot.
A MARVELOUS MENU: Saturday night will be a great one to come out to the track, as The Big M will present its BBQ Extravaganza.
Some of the best food trucks anywhere will be serving up some lip-smacking BBQ for everyone in attendance.
The event takes place from 5 p.m.-11 p.m., so don’t get shut out.
For those of you who think you make some great BBQ, you can compete for $2,500 USD in prize money.
AN ANNIVERSARY MENU: The Meadowlands has been the top harness track in the sport since it opened, and if you come out on Saturday, Sept. 12, you can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the mile oval.
If you are one of the first 1,000 in attendance, you will receive a commemorative Meadowlands 50th Anniversary flask.
Throughout the evening, there will be video reels, interviews and more.
In addition, there will be concession specials at the Café, with $1 USD hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn and soda and $2 USD Bud and Bud Light drafts (for ages 21 and older).
The specials are available from 6 p.m.-11 p.m. with a limit of five items per transaction.
(Meadowlands)