We’ve reached the midpoint of this nine evening, all-turf meet. There’s another six race card tonight at the Meadowlands, highlighted by a state bred maiden special weight race that kicks off the card. The rails are set at 17 feet, as per usual on Friday nights here. First post tonight is scheduled for 7:00 (EDT).
| Race | Top Pick | A | B | C | Exotics Menu |
| 1 | 7 | 7,6,1 | DBL, PK3, PK6 | ||
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | DBL, PK3, PK5 | |
| 3 | 7 | 7,6 | DBL, PK3, PK4 | ||
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 10,2 | DBL, PK3 | |
| 5 | 6 | 6 | 2 | DBL | |
| 6 | 8 | 8,9,2 |
Race 1:
Eight, three year old fillies will go 1 1/16 miles in this New Jersey bred maiden special weight contest. Even though this race was written for three year olds and up, only three year olds are entered. I don’t have a lot of confidence with the favorites in this spot, so I’ll roll with Abbey Jean (#7) in her second career start. She was away slow when she debuted at this level when sprinting on the turf at Monmouth. Her effort wasn’t great, but it was something that could be built upon. Her half sister, Her Name Is Lola, was a two-time winner on the turf in New Jersey. I trust Lindsay Schultz to get her to improve in this spot. Diamondinthesand (#6) struggled when breaking from a wide in a full field at this level last out. She lost some ground coming out of the chute and then she wasn’t settling for Chantal Sutherland as she tried to tuck her into an open spot in the middle of the pack. She didn’t corner well and was five-six wide coming off the first turn. She came up empty in the stretch and was left alone to finish last. She showed that she was more competitive in her prior starts, so I’ll chalk that effort to a bad day against a better group. Fernando Jara, who has two winners at this meet, gets the assignment tonight. Easter Millie (#1) ran here last weekend when running without a tag in a waiver maiden claiming race. She set the early tempo and finished 4th, beaten a little more than three lengths. Her three turf routes have been solid efforts, so I can see her running back to that race.
Race 2:
Beaten $5K claimers will dash five furlongs here. I’m not trusting the 10 year old gelding, Cabinet Pik (#6) at this distance. Fayathaan (#3) has had trouble staying sound, but if he’s right, he’s going to win this race. While his best work came overseas on the synthetic, he ran some very sharp races against much better competition in the States in 2023 and 2024. Soundness has been an issue, and he definitely needed his last start when facing $12,500-$10,500 claimers at Monmouth. If he’s looking the part during warmups, I’d be comfortable rolling with him. Cheers for Kitten (#4) could be the one to catch in this spot. She’s been close in her last three starts with $10K-$9K claimers at Penn National in her last three starts. She’s another one getting some class relief in this one.
Race 3:
We’ll go back to a 1 1/16 mile race in this $6K-$5K claiming race for fillies and mares. Allons (#7) ships to New Jersey for the first time after struggling with $10K-$9K claimers at Delaware last out. That wasn’t a bad field for that level, so she;s definitely getting some class re;lief in this spot today. She was very sharp two back at Colonial and if she can run back to that effort she’s going to be tough here. Bramble Bush (#6) is the clear alternative here. She was a respectable 5th here two weeks ago when facing a better group of $12,500-$10,500 claimers. She finished 5th, beaten two lengths that night, snapping a six race streak of finishing first or second. When she’s running at the right level of competition, she is tough to deal with.
Race 4:
Three year olds and up will dash five furlongs in this $7,500-$6,500 N3L claiming contest. How you’ll attack this race depends on how you feel about the favorite, Vitement (#2). He hasn’t been on the turf in close to two whole years, but his lone effort on the lawn was far superior to what any other horse has shown in this spot. Soundness has been an issue for this one and his recent form on the dirt has been poor, losing badly in his last two starts as a beaten favorite. That effort on the turf came after a pair of bad races earlier in his career, so I do wonder if this is what this horse is going to do best. On the flip side, this is a lower level claiming race for a horse that was claimed for $16K just two starts ago. I’ll cover with him on the B line, but I’m going to try to beat him. High N Goes (#4) is likely going to be the one that will be carving out the fractions. He was a winner here last season pulling off the gate to wire upset at 30-1. His second start at this distance was another gate to wire win at Penn National two starts ago. He was leg weary last out when going 5 ½ furlongs at Presque Isle. There’s not a lot of early competition for him in this spot, and he runs for a high percentage barn that’s based at Penn National. I think he’s a good fit in this spot and I’m expecting to see him wind up in the Winner’s Circle.My Boy Rocky (#10) has a live look in this race, breaking from the outside stall. He likes to be forwardly placed, which has been a plus at this distance during this meet. He had some solid efforts in turf sprints downstate at Monmouth this summer. He was claimed for this tag last out after taking a deep drop in class in a race that was run over a sloppy and sealed dirt course. He’s been at his best over a firm course and with little to no rain this week, that is what he should be getting tonight.
Race 5:
This race is an optional $30K claiming/$16K starter allowance race going 1 1/16 miles. Despite a modest $22K purse, this race came up very competitive. In starter allowance races, I like backing horses that know how to win races. Rigel (#6) has become very proficient in that skill over the last several months. He’s a neck loss short of a six race winning streak and he’s won six of his last eight, with his only dull effort in that span coming on the Tapeta while moving up in class and making his first start off a three month layoff. He can win races on the front end, but he can also when while stalking the pace. Jose Gallegos has done well to keep him in top form since claiming him for $25K at Colonial three starts ago. If he didn’t stumble out of the gate two back, he’d almost certainly be riding a six race winning streak, and I think he’s very likely to keep it rolling tonight. Even though this feels like a contentious field, 3-1 (ML) feels like it would be a gift. Magical Marriage (#2) would be the backup for me in this spot. Horses coming from off the pace have had a fair shot to close in the two turn races on this course at this meet. There could be a solid pace for him to close into in this spot, since the primary contenders all like to be forward. He’s an eight year old gelding that is in for the $30K tag, so he might have lost a step. However, he can still coming running when things go his way.
Race 6:
We’ll wrap up the night with another $6K-$5K claiming race for fillies and mares, however this one will be run at five furlongs. Fairhopecurly (#8) could pull off the mild upset while making her first start for Jorge Delgado. We connected with a longshot under these circumstances last weekend when Martina Rojas scored at a decent price with a first time Delgado runner coming here from Virginia for Next Level Stables. This filly seems to be better on grass than on synthetic and she has shown that she has the speed to clear off early in races like this. I think she’ll be ridden more aggressive by Rojas and I think she could pull off another upset for these connections.The Furmanator (#9) ran well here last season and her lone start at this distance at Monmouth this summer was a near miss when facing open $12,500-$10,500 claimers. While it is a drop in class on paper, these races are often similar in terms of overall quality when stacked up against the $12,500-$10,500 level downstate. She has finished in the money in 15 of 27 career starts, so she often is giving her best effort. Jose Gallegos could have a big night here, as I think all three of the runners that he’s planning on racing here feel live. He sends out Paleo’s Princess (#2) for her local debut. She was competitive when sprinting in Southern California last year. She was claimed at Del mar and made her way easy for her new connections. She joined Gallegos’ barn earlier this summer and she’s pulled off two straight wins at Gulfstream and Colonial, respectively. She was a voided claim at the $10K level in Virginia last out, so that is something worth watching, especially if she’s pounded at the windows.
Meet Statistics:
Top Pick Winners; 6/24 (25.0%), $111.80, $4.66 ROI
