The Meadowlands Racetrack’s weekend of live racing will begin with a $25,000 Mares Open Pace as the Friday evening feature.
An evenly matched field of eight will face the gate, and the morning line oddsmaker has favoured last week’s winner, Lovineveryminute.
The five-year-old distaffer has found the best form of her career since owners Brian and Ira Wallach brought her to Richie Johnson’s barn. Plucked from a $15,000 Yonkers claimer in late February, Lovineveryminute has rewarded the Wallachs with a return of more than $70,000 in less than four months’ time.
Facing the best overnight mares week in and week out, Lovineveryminute has won three of her last four outings, including last week’s 1:50.3 career best with regular driver Joe Bongiorno at the controls. The pair will start from Post 2 in Race 6 on Friday.
Saturday night’s program at the Meadowlands will feature the $22,400 final of the short Caramore series which 2012 Little Brown Jug winner Michaels Power has used as a stage to flaunt a return to top form. A sub-1:50 winner in both preliminary legs for owner Jeffrey and Michael Snyder, Michaels Power will be driven by Andy Miller for trainer Mark Silva and will start from Post 6 in Race 11 on Saturday.
The Super Hi-5 Jackpot has crept over the quarter-million-dollar mark heading into the weekend.
First-race post time on Friday is 7:15 p.m.
(With files from the Meadowlands)