COME TO THE BIGGEST PARTY IN HARNESS RACING AT THE BIG M

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- July 10, 2025 -- This Saturday (July 12), a big crowd will gather at the No. 1 track in all of harness racing as revelers will enjoy one of the best programs of the year in the sport – and a whole lot more – on Meadowlands Pace Night at The Meadowlands, the “Biggest Party in Harness Racing”.

The center of attention will be the 49^th edition of the $656,000 Meadowlands Pace, arguably the most influential 3-year-old open pace the sport offers. But the Pace isn’t the only big race on the card, not by a long shot. Seven other stakes events will also be contested on a 14-race program that will dole out $2.3 million in purses.

“Meadowlands Pace Night is always one of the biggest at our track as well as the entire sport,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Not only is the race card one of the strongest of the year, but our patrons have so many options to have a great summer night out.”

The fun extends past the action on the track, as fans can ride a mechanical shark, kick some soccer darts, grab some grub from local food trucks, dance with DJ ALX and get a commemorative “Pace & Love” t-shirt (while supplies last).

As for dining options, these are what remain.

Outdoor Café picnic tables have waitress service and are tented for guest comfort. Guests can dine on racetrack staples, which include chicken wings and French fries, cheese steaks, burgers, pretzels, popcorn, ice cream and more. Reservations must be pre-paid and are $100 per table. Each table seats up to four people. The $100 is a food credit that can be used at the Café. Café tables can be purchased by going here.

The Lounge is an indoor dining option, offering views of both the on-track race action and the large TVs in the FanDuel Sports Book. Tables of two and four are available along with bar seats. Each purchase is a beverage and food credit for Victory Sports Bar. The à la carte menu features great bar food, salads and sandwiches. Lounge dining can be purchased by going here.

For all Pace Night details, go here.

A LAUNDRY LIST OF STAKES: The roster of stakes races that will be featured on the card is both long and impressive, with eight major events being contested over 11 dashes.

They are:

·         Race 3 – $119,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial (3-year-old colt and gelding trotters, 1^st division)

·         Race 4 – $119,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial (3-year-old colt and gelding trotters, 2^nd division)

·         Race 5 – $141,600 Del Miller Memorial (3-year-old filly trotters, 1^st division)

·         Race 6 – $141,600 Del Miller Memorial (3-year-old filly trotters, 2^nd division)

·         Race 7 – $147,500 William R. Haughton Memorial (open pace, 1^st division)

·         Race 8 – $142,000 Dorothy Haughton Memorial (mares open pace)

·         Race 9 – $425,000 E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity (4-year-old open trot at 1 1/8 miles)

·         Race 10 – $147,500 William R. Haughton Memorial (open pace, 2^nd division)

·         Race 11 – $656,000 Meadowlands Pace (3-year-old open pace)

·         Race 12 – $172,650 Jerry Silverman Memorial (3-year-old filly pace)

·         Race 13 – $40,000 Miss Versatility (mares open trot)

MEADOWLANDS PACE FIELD

The field for the $656,000 Meadowlands Pace, an open event for 3-year-olds that takes place at The Meadowlands on Saturday, July 12, 2025, with post position, horse, driver, trainer and morning-line odds:

PP – HORSE – DRIVER – TRAINER – ODDS

1 – Papis Pistol – Dave Miller – Sam DePinto – 9-2

2 – Papi’s Rocket – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke – 20-1

3 – Knockout Round – Andy McCarthy – Tony Alagna – 25-1

4 – Prince Hal Hanover – Todd McCarthy – Dr. Ian Moore – 7-2

5 – Captain Optimistic – Dexter Dunn – Nancy Takter – 3-1

6 – Fallout – Tim Tetrick – Tony Alagna – 6-1

7 – Joel And The Jets – Louis Roy – Dr. Ian Moore – 15-1

8 – Manolete – Scott Zeron – Bruce Saunders – 12-1

9 – Madden Oaks – Braxten Boyd – Cam Capone – 5-2

NOTE: Post time for the Pace is 10:46 p.m.

THE PACE COAST-TO-COAST: The Meadowlands Pace, along with a big handful of other major stakes, will be shown live to a national television audience this Saturday (July 12) night.

For a fifth consecutive year, the TV teams at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Meadowlands are combining forces to bring high-caliber harness racing stakes events to a coast-to-coast audience over the networks of FOX Sports as part of NYRA’s “America’s Day at the Races” telecasts.

This Saturday’s show can be seen on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) and will begin at 8 p.m. Anchoring the broadcast will be Chris Griffin and Paul Verderosa from NYRA’s showcase track, Saratoga Race Course, with on-the-scene commentary being provided by The Big M’s own Jessica Otten and Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s Gabe Prewitt.

Here is the schedule for the remaining FOX Sports shows, with the event(s) that will be featured and the time the show will be broadcast. Which FOX network the show can be found on – Fox 5 New York (locally), FS1 or FS2 – will be determined:

·         July 12 – Meadowlands Pace Night (multiple stakes), 8-11 p.m., FS2

·         August 2 – Hambletonian 100 coverage throughout the day, 1-7 p.m., TBA

·         September 5 – New Jersey Classic Series finals, 8-11 p.m., TBA

·         November 1 – Kindergarten finals, 8-11 p.m., TBA

·         November 15 – Fall Final Four, 8-11 p.m., TBA

PACE PUNTERS’ PARADISE: On Meadowlands Pace Night, there are some extra multi-leg wagers being offered to titillate the palates of Pace players.

The complete list:

·         Early 20-cent Pick-5: Races 1-5

·         20-cent Survivor Pick-7: Races 3-9 (mandatory payout nightly)

·         Early 50-cent Pick-4: Races 4-7 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)

·         20-cent Pick-6: Races 6-11

·         10-cent non-jackpot Pentafecta (Hi-5): Race 7

·         Middle 50-cent Pick 4: Races 8-11 ($100,000 guaranteed pool)

·         Late 20-cent Pick-5: Races 10-14

·         Late 50-cent Pick 4: Races 11-14

·         10-cent non-jackpot Pentafecta (Hi-5): Race 14

MONTHLY HANDICAPPING CONTEST: The seventh edition of the 2025 Meadowlands Monthly Handicapping Contest takes place on Friday, July 18, and offers players a chance to win a share of $1,000 in prize money.

Contest format:

·         Contestants must be on-site to participate

·         Contestants must buy a $100 betting card to participate

·         Contestants must bet a minimum of five Meadowlands races

·         There is no minimum or maximum bet per race

·         Contestants can play any wager(s) on The Meadowlands live wagering menu

·         Contestants keep all pari-mutuel winnings

·         Contestants can enter as many times as they wish

·         The top two finishers earn spots in the $10,000 end-of-the-year contest

Remaining contest schedule:

·         Friday, July 18

·         Saturday, August 30

·         Saturday, October 25

·         Friday, November 21

·         The $10,000 invitation-only final is on Saturday, December 13

Previous players that have qualified for the December contest are Nick Montemurro and Gary Scogna (the top two finishers from January); Michael Grasso and Montemurro (February); Sean Loebs and Joe Barre (March); Robert Glaser and Jim Bohnarczyk (April); Karen Fossli and Russ Slader (May); and Del Kern and Scogna (June).

Complete contest rules and regulations can be found here.

To participate, players must be 18 years of age or older to wager on racing. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please get help at 1-800-GAMBLER.

THEY ARE FA-REEE! To show appreciation to its loyal fan base, The Meadowlands offers free program pages for every race of every race card on its website.

Go to playmeadowlands.com, then click on the “news” dropdown to get the past performances at absolutely no cost.

WHEN IS LIVE RACING? During the month of July, live racing at The Big M will be conducted every Friday and Saturday with a first-race post-time of 6:20 p.m.

CIRCLE THE DATES: The two biggest dates on the calendar at The Meadowlands feature two of the biggest stakes events the game offers.

On Saturday (July 12), the Meadowlands Pace will take center stage on a power-packed card that gets underway at 6:20 p.m.

Three weeks after that, “America’s Trotting Classic” will be in the spotlight celebrating an historic anniversary.

On Saturday, Aug. 2, the 100^th edition of the $1-million Hambletonian will highlight the strongest program of the year in the sport. The only card during the season that takes place during the day, post time on Hambo Day is noon.

WHAT’S GOING ON? Check out the live “Racing from The Meadowlands” pregame show every Friday and Saturday when track announcer Ken Warkentin opens up the mic with a scene set and program changes at 5:45 p.m.

At that point, Warkentin will then throw to the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set.

Veteran Canadian harness racing TV talent Greg Blanchard will be at The Meadowlands this weekend, sitting alongside the Big M’s Dave Little, with the pair providing news, notes and selections.

On Friday, Blanchard will be in the co-host chair, while on Saturday, he will serve as host of the Meadowlands Pace simulcast broadcast for a third consecutive year.

John Rallis, who divides his on-camera time between The Big M and Woodbine Mohawk Park when not serving as an editor and columnist at TROT Magazine, will be handling interviews from the back paddock this Friday and Saturday as well as providing commentary and selections on the FanDuel Television (FDTV) feed on Saturday.

Prewitt will handle FDTV on Friday.

PLAY HORSEPLAY, WIN A CAR: The extremely popular Horseplay Car Giveaway is winding its way toward the payoff.

When there is live racing, fans can get involved by picking up a free toy horse to toss. Participants attempt to throw their numbered horse into the window of a moving car. A winner, randomly chosen from all the horses that make it into the vehicle, will receive a $100 betting voucher. The 27 winners will be entered into the Horseplay final drawing on Friday, Aug. 1, for a chance to win a 2025 Toyota GR86. 

SOCIALLY SUPERIOR: Everything Meadowlands is available by going on X. You can check in with the Big M team for early changes, racing information and staff selections by going to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

Stay in touch with The Big M talent trio of Otten (@JessicaOtten1), Little (@DaveLittleBigM) and Warkentin (@kenvoiceover).

A GREAT NIGHT OUT: Looking to book a corporate event or private party? The Meadowlands has unlimited event possibilities. The redesigned Gallery with multiple TVs, private bar and balcony overlooking the FanDuel Sportsbook is perfect for game days, watch parties and more.

To book your private party, email alokshin@playmeadowlands.com.

FANDUEL IS NO. 1: Meadowlands regulars know that if they want action on professional and college sports, all they have to do is head for the FanDuel Sportsbook, which is the No. 1 facility of its kind in all of North America.

It couldn’t be easier to access, as it’s located inside the grandstand at The Big M.

The book has massive TV screens and self-service betting terminals, which enable fans to watch and wager in comfort while having some great food and drink.

On Thursday (July 10), the New York Yankees host the Seattle Mariners in the Bronx at 7:05 p.m.

The Mariners are a -112 favorite in the game that has an under/over of 9 runs.

Whatever the sport, for the latest odds, go here.

The FanDuel Sportsbook is open for business Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 1 a.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. – 1 a.m.; and Sunday 8 a.m. – midnight.