The New Jersey Classic finals for 2- and 3-year-olds of each sex and gait will be featured Friday (Sept. 5) night at The Meadowlands with eight championship events going for purses totaling $1.6 million, and, once again, FOX Sports will broadcast the action live nationwide ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- September 4, 2025 -- The New Jersey Classic finals for 2- and 3-year-olds of each sex and gait will be featured Friday (Sept. 5) night at The Meadowlands with eight championship events going for purses totaling $1.6 million, and, once again, FOX Sports will broadcast the action live nationwide.
The show begins at 8 p.m. and can be seen on FOX Sports 2 (FS2). There will be three hours of coverage. Gabe Prewitt and Jessica Otten will be at The Big M with analysis and interviews while Chris Griffin and Paul Verderosa will be in-studio anchoring the festivities.
“This is the first show we’ve had since FOX televised the 100th Hambletonian live coast-to-coast,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “And it’s great once again to be partnering up with the TV crew at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) as part of their ‘America’s Day at the Races’ series to show some of our best stakes events to such a big audience. This is the fifth year that we’ve had a presence on FOX and we hope that continues for the foreseeable future.”
Some of the star performers who will be seen on the card include:
· Race 5: New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Emmas Mystery CCL taking on Peaceful Way winner Sugar Packet in the 2-year-old filly trot
· Race 8: Muscle Hill winner Onajetplane in the 3-year-old colt and gelding trot
· Race 9: Captain Optimistic and Manolete face-off again after the latter won last week’s matchup in the New Jersey Classic 3-year-old colt and gelding pace prep
· Race 10: Two-year-old colt and gelding trotters square off again in Round 3 of their rivalry as Apex looks to go up three wins to none over Diabolic Hill
· Race 11: Yo Tillie, the top 3-year-old trotting filly in training, looks to stay perfect in eight seasonal starts. She’s currently No. 3 in the weekly Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll
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 – FS1 or FS2 – will be determined:
· September 5 – New Jersey Classic Series finals, 8-11 p.m., FS2
· November 1 – Kindergarten finals, 8-11 p.m., TBA
· November 15 – Fall Final Four, 8-11 p.m., TBA
HALL OF FAMER IN THE HOUSE: This weekend, track announcer Ken Warkentin, simulcast show host Dave Little and back paddock interviewer/FanDuel TV commentator Joe Romanelli will be in their usual roles on the nightly broadcast that gets underway at 5:45 p.m. There will, however, be different faces in the co-host chair.
Derick Giwner, the editor at DRF Harness who was recently elected to the Communicators Hall of Fame, will be back for a second consecutive Friday night alongside Little on the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set as they tackle the New Jersey Classic finals card.
On Saturday, Mike Bozich, last heard at The Big M calling the races on Aug. 9, is back, but this time he’ll be giving his commentary and selections on set with Little. Bozich is the long-time voice of Harrah’s Philadelphia.
WINNERS, WINNERS EVERYWHERE: If you didn’t cash a bunch of tickets last weekend at The Meadowlands after watching the simulcast presentation, don’t blame the talent.
On Friday (Aug. 29), the red-hot Giwner gave out eight winners on top along with two cold Trifectas and five Exactas.
Little was just behind the DRF Harness Editor with seven on top, and also had a pair of scores along the way, giving out a Pick-4 ticket that his followers used to cash in for $383. He also hit “Little’s Late Double”, which created a $365 score. Both of those hits came as a result of Little correctly selecting Practical Man in the 13th race, who paid $37.80 to win.
Little gave out six more winners on Saturday as his late double gave his followers an $82 hit. His first time on set was a good one for PIX11’s Marc Malusis. The “Moose” had five on top, including the last three in a row, good for an ice-cold Pick-3 where $10 bettors cashed in for $120.
Finally, sitting atop the heap was back-paddock interviewer Joe Romanelli, whose eight winners on Friday and six more on Saturday led all track touts with 14 correct selections.
THE SCHEDULE: In a departure of what usually takes place after Hambletonian Day, racing will continue at The Big M on a Friday-Saturday basis through Sept. 13. Post time will be the normal 6:20 p.m.
ISSA IS THE ONE: Emile Issa won the eighth edition of the 2025 Meadowlands $1,000 Monthly Handicapping Contest that took place on Saturday (Aug. 30).
Issa built his $100 bankroll into $540.76, which was good enough to take home the first prize of $500.
Just $15 behind Issa to finish second (and collect $250) was Nick Montemurro, who tallied $525. The other two to take home cash prizes on the night were third-place finisher Brittany Condon (whose final bankroll of $490 got her $150) and fourth-place Sean Loebs ($460; $100).
Sure, Montemurro would like to have won, but it’s likely he’s good with finishing second (which, by the way, he did by cashing in the 14th race), as he now has four top-two finishes, meaning he now has four entries in the year-end competition that takes place on December 13. That big-money final has prize money totaling $10,000.
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:
· 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 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); Del Kern and Scogna (June); and Fossli and Montemurro (July).
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.
A GREAT WAY TO PLAY: Every night, The Meadowlands offers a marvelous menu of popular wagers that offer a low 15 percent takeout.
Here is the rundown of what will be offered this weekend:
· Races 1-5: 20-cent Pick-5
· Races 3-9: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 (mandatory payout nightly)
· Races 6-9: Early 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
· Races 8-13: 20-cent Pick-6
· Races 10-13: Late 50-cent Pick 4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
· Race 14: 10-cent non-jackpot Pentafecta (Hi-5)
WHAT? THEY’RE FREE? 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.
A SOCIAL SETTING: 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 duo of Little (@DaveLittleBigM) and Warkentin (@kenvoiceover).
TIME TO PARTY: 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.
FABULOUS FOOTBALL IN FANDUEL: 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.
The National Football League is back!
The first game of the season takes place Thursday (Sept. 4) night as the Dallas Cowboys head to The City of Brotherly Shove to take on the World Champion Philadelphia Eagles in an 8:20 p.m. kickoff.
The Eagles are an 8½-point favorite in the game that has an under/over of 47½ points.
Do you like prop bets?
How about some sure to create some action:
· The Eagles’ Saquon Barkley to score a touchdown anytime is -210; to score the first TD of the game he’s +390; to score the last touchdown of the game he’s +440
· The Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb? He’s +145; +1000; and +850
· The Eagles’ Jalen Hurts to throw for 250+ yards is +220
· The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott to throw for 250+ yards is -112
By the way, if you bet a $100 parlay that both quarterbacks get the above yardage, your return would be just over $500.
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.
