The Meadowlands will stand alone this Saturday (June 28) night on a three-hour live presentation that will be brought to a national television audience ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- June 26, 2025 -- The Meadowlands will stand alone this Saturday (June 28) night on a three-hour live presentation that will be brought to a national television audience.
Harness racing fans will be treated to four stakes events that night as The Big M will share the coast-to-coast spotlight with no other track. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) will feature three hours of Meadowlands coverage as part of its “America’s Day at the Races” broadcasts on FOX Sports.
The show can be seen on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) beginning at 8 p.m. Chris Griffin and Paul Verderosa will anchor the program while Big M TV’s Jessica Otten and Vice President and General Manager of Racing at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Gabe Prewitt will provide commentary and analysis.
“It’s exciting for all of us at The Meadowlands to present such a big card to a national TV audience as the stakes season continues to roll toward the [July 12] Meadowlands Pace and [Aug. 2] Hambletonian,” said Big M Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The TV crews at NYRA and FOX are first rate, and getting to show our product – especially when we will be the only track featured on the telecast – to an audience that normally sees Thoroughbred racing on the FOX shows helps the harness industry widen the appeal of our sport.”
The four events that will be featured on the show are the $114,500 Six Pack (open mare trot), $173,000 Dave Brower Memorial (open pace, split into two divisions), $164,000 Crawford Farms (open trot) and $116,500 Perfect Sting (open mare pace).
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:
· June 28 – Perfect Sting, Brower Memorial, Crawford Farms, Six Pack, 8-11 p.m., FS2
· July 5 – Stan Bergstein Graduate finals; Meadowlands Pace eliminations, 8-11 p.m., TBA
· July 12 – Meadowlands Pace Night (multiple stakes), 8-11 p.m., TBA
· 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
WINE IS FINE: If you love wine, then head to The Meadowlands on Saturday (June 28) night, when the track’s annual Wine Festival takes place.
VIP entry kicks off at 4 p.m. while general admission starts at 5 p.m. The wine keeps flowing until 9 p.m. Spend the evening sipping on delicious wines from Italy, Australia, the U.S., France, and other amazing places, all while enjoying music by DJ Alx, food and harness racing.
With a lineup of over fifty wineries, there is something for everyone.
Don't miss out on the extremely limited VIP tickets, which are still available at $70. These tickets offer early entry, special wine tastings in the VIP Tent, and a picnic buffet. General admission is $45 in advance or $50 at the door.
Racing starts at 6:20 p.m., adding a bit of extra excitement to the mix.
For tickets, go here.
KERN COLLECTS FIRST PLACE: Del Kern and Gary Scogna both hit big early – by having winning tickets on the 20-cent Pick-5 – and held on by a considerable margin to take first- and second-place, respectively, in the sixth edition of the 2025 Meadowlands Monthly Handicapping Contest, which was contested on Friday (June 20). The contest goes for cash prizes totaling $1,000.
Kern finished the night with a bankroll of 1,902.42, which earned him the first prize of $500, while Scogna tallied $1,342.42, to take home $250.
The duo have now earned entry into the year-end invitational contest, which takes place on Dec. 13. That competition will be limited to 22 players vying for $10,000 in cash prizes. Scogna is in good shape, as he’s now earned two entries into the year-end competition.
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 another $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); and Karen Fossli and Russ Slader (May).
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 June, live racing at The Big M will be conducted every Friday and Saturday with a first-race post-time of 6:20 p.m.
During July, the same schedule applies, with one exception. On Saturday, July 5, post time for the first race is 7 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.
In just two weeks, on Saturday, July 12, the $700,000 (est.) Meadowlands Pace will take center stage on a power-packed card that gets underway at 6:20 p.m.
Two weeks after that, “America’s Trotting Classic” will be in the spotlight celebrating an historic anniversary.
On Saturday, Aug. 2, the 100th 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. On Friday, The Big M’s Dave Little and Jessica Otten will provide news, notes, selections and a look at the night’s featured races, while on Saturday, Derick Giwner, the editor at DRF Harness, will sit alongside Little as Otten shifts over to the FOX telecast.
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 as well as providing commentary and selections on the FanDuel Television (FDTV) feed.
PLAY HORSEPLAY, WIN A CAR: The extremely popular Horseplay Car Giveaway has returned.
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.
A GREAT WAY TO PLAY: Every night, The Meadowlands offers a marvelous menu of popular wagers that offer a low 15 percent takeout.
They are:
· 20-cent Pick-5: Races 1-5
· 20-cent Survivor Pick-7: Races 3-9 (mandatory payout nightly)
· Early 50-cent Pick-4: Races 6-9 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
· 20-cent Pick-6: Races 8-13
· Late 50-cent Pick 4: Races 10-13 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
· 10-cent non-jackpot Pentafecta (Hi-5): Race 14
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 (June 26), the struggling New York Mets host the Atlanta Braves in a 7:10 p.m. start at CitiField in Queens. The Mets are the -112 favorite in the game that has an under/over of 8½ 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.
