New Jersey thoroughbred racing shifts to the northern part of the state as the Meadowlands will host nine evenings of racing over the upcoming five weekends. Each card typically has six races and each one will be contested over the turf course. If there is inclement weather or unsuitable turf conditions, these cards have been outright canceled. They’ll employ two different rail positions on the turf course here at the Meadowlands. Tonight the rails will be set at 17 feet and they’ll move them all the way to 0 feet for tomorrow night’s card. The $3 Late Pick-3 and the $5 Late Double were successful new additions to the wagering menu during the traditional Monmouth meet and they have been brought back for the Monmouth at the Meadowlands Meet, starting in Race 4 and Race 5, respectively. First post this evening is scheduled for 7:00 (EDT).
| Race | Top Pick | A | B | C | Exotics Menu |
| 1 | 4 | 4,5 | DBL, PK3, PK6 | ||
| 2 | 6 | 6,7 | 1 | DBL, PK3, PK5 | |
| 3 | 7 | 7 | 4 | DBL, PK3, PK4 | |
| 4 | 2 | 2,3 | 1 | DBL, $3 Late PK3 | |
| 5 | 2 | 2 | 8,3 | $5 Late DBL | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Race 1:
The meet begins with a $12,500-$10,500 claiming race for older horses going 1 1/16 miles over the turf course. One difference between this course and the course at Monmouth is that the races at this distance here start at the top of the stretch and will be a straightaway start, whereas all of the 1 1/16 mile races at Monmouth began in the chute, where they would bend onto the course proper shortly after the break. My action in this race is going to go through two horses, Wild Jaime (#4) and Magical Marriage (#5). Bean Machine (#1) is good enough on his best day, but he has regressed when coming here in year’s past. Rerally (#2) has 53 starts under his belt and has never tried the turf. Usually there’s a reason for that. Leo Monte (#3) has run solid efforts on this course in the past, but he’s now an eight year old gelding and his last two races were terrible. I’m not sure his better form is coming back at this point. I’m a Gambler (#6) wins this race easily with his best effort. However, this is a very suspect drop in class for a horse that was claimed for $50K at the beginning of the year. He ran a solid race in N2X allowance company in New York in the spring and was good enough to be considered for the Wolf Hill Stakes downstate at Monmouth. That race was taken off the turf and he stayed there to get second place money, which netted him over $20K. This is still a very steep drop in class for a graded stakes placed runner. I’d have to think if he was going to run his A race, there’s no way he’d be running for a tag this cheap. Magical Marriage (#5) is the morning line favorite and will be vying with I’m a Gambler for the role of post time favorite. His lone effort here was solid and he was a winner against a better field at this condition over at Monmouth this summer. His last race was not his best though. I do think he can rebound. However, I’m going to try Wild Jaime (#4) as the top pick here. I was hoping to find more of an excuse for his dull effort in state bred optional claiming/allowance company in his last start, but he had a decent trip. The inside lanes on that course were clearly better than the outer lanes, and he was in the three path for the better part of that race. He ran a strong race on this course last fall where he was caught late after setting the tempo for most of the way around. There is not a ton of early speed signed on for this race and I’d love to Martina Rojas exploit that by sending this gelding to the front. He’s been sitting off the pace in his last several races and he did win a race like that back in July. However, he was a better horse when he was put on the lead and I think that could be the key for victory with him tonight.
Race 2:
Two year old fillies will sprint five furlongs in this state bred maiden special weight contest. While both Armstrong Road (#6) and Bar Room Queen (#7) are trying the turf for the first time, I think they’re going to be the fillies that decide this one. These fillies finished together when they were well beaten by a runaway winner in their debuts last month. Armstrong Road has a slight edge in my mind. She’s sired by Sea Wizard, who is getting 19% winners with his turf sprinters. The dam started twice, both times in turf races. She didn’t win, but she ran well in both starts. Bar Room Queen is a half to Grouch, who is a winner on both turf and dirt. Her sire, Army Mule, gets 13% winners from his turf sprinters. There’s little turf form to speak of in this race, so assuming they can handle it, they are the main contenders. I’ll give a look to Celtic Rox (#1)as a backup in this race. She debuted in an open maiden special weight race at this distance on the turf downstate last month. Philly Ruckus was in a class of her own in that race, but she was third at long odds, not far behind the second place finisher. She has every right to improve in this spot.
Race 3:
This is another maiden special weight dash at five furlongs, but this race is fillies and mares, three and up. Garden Gal (#1) is tough to take seriously as the favorite in this race and I’m not sure she wants part of this five furlong trip, which she’ll be trying for the first time. Assuming American Purple (#7) takes to the turf course, I think she’ll win this race for fun. There are clues that she’ll handle the turf as she’s sired by Mshawish, who was a Grade 1 stakes winner on both turf and dirt. His runners are winning 15% of the time in turf sprint races. The dam was sired by Speightstown, whose horses tend to be able to run over any surface. She has foaled a winner in turf a sprint. This filly faded late on the dirt when added Lasix for the first time in her most recent try on the dirt at Finger Lakes. She changes barns and tries grass for the first time, while also cutting back in distance. This course has historically been kind to front end speed and while there are others that want to be forward, I think she’ll be able to hit the lead in the early stages. The backup plan for me in this race is Mo Vita (#4). She ran well against state bred maiden special weight types here on closing night last fall. She’s been sluggish in her last four starts, one of which came on the turf. She drew a wide post in a 5 ½ furlong race out of the chute at Monmouth and was wide throughout that afternoon. There needs to be a form reversal for sure, this is not a great field for this condition and if the top pick isn’t feeling the turf, she’d be the one I’d want as a saver.
Race 4:
Seven are entered in this $16K-$14K N2L claiming race, but I assume that the big longshot, Bliss Street (#6), will opt for the easier spot tomorrow night where he is cross-entered. How you attack this race will depend on you feel about Taraj (#7), who is the morning line favorite for Jorge Delgado. He hasn’t been seen on the racetrack in over 13 months and he’s another runner taking a deep drop in class. He wasn’t competitive in two turf races at Saratoga last summer in allowance company. Those races are always very tough there. If he was the same kind of horse that he was in the past, I’d think Delgado would be targeting a first level allowance race with him. That was a similar trajectory that he took with Kingmax a few years ago. The fact that he entered him in a race at this level at Monmouth (scratched due to being taken off the turf), and he’s keeping him at this level here at the Meadowlands, suggests to me that this horse is not showing enough in the AM to be competitive against better fields. His lone win also came on the synthetic, making him 0-5 on the lawn. This is not the deepest group, but there are some capable runners, so I’m going to be siding against him. Redemption Speight (#2) is the top pick. He was a decent third at this level after getting roughed up pretty good at the break last time out. I’m willing to toss his effort two back, which leaves me with two respectable efforts at Monmouth over the summer. He ran well here last year to be second on a course labeled “good”. He could be working with a similar course condition tonight. I’m expecting a better effort from him in this spot. Two Dollar Bill (#3) also makes a lot of sense. He’s been knocking on the door at this level in his last three starts downstate at Monmouth. His barn had a strong meet this summer and he’s stayed in good form while competing at this level. If his price stays close to his morning line number, assuming that a lot of public money will be on Taraj, I could see him offering decent value here. On deeper tickets, I’ll look at Funky See Funky Do (#1). He’s going to have top rebound from a bad effort after setting the tempo at Monmouth in his last start. The top two picks finished in front of him as he quit in the late stages after setting the pace. The course was labeled good that afternoon and there aren’t many comps for other races on that card, so it’s hard to determine how fast those fractions were for that course. There is still room to grow, but if there is some moisture in the track, I’m not sure he’s going to be able to put his best foot forward.
Race 5:
Fillies and mares will go 1 1/16 miles in this $7,500-$6,500 N3L claiming race. This is a condition where they do not card turf races for at Monmouth. The lowest level of competition for N3L claimers there is a $16K-$14K claimer. I think this a great spot for Clean Winner (#2) to take another crack at a two turn race on the turf. She faced maiden special weight types at Gulfstream, during the Championship Meet, in her only career try in a turf route race. She faced considerably better opposition and was wide throughout in a race which was also her first time around two turns on any surface. She hasn’t really progressed much since those races in Florida over the winter, which explains why she’s in for another $7,500 tag at this point in the year. She ran well in a two turn dirt race two starts back, where she was claimed by Silvino Ramirez. He tried to get her on the turf in a $16K-$14K beaten claiming race at 5 ½ furlongs in her last start at Monmouth, but that was a race that was moved to the main track. She was flat in that spot as the 3-5 favorite in a short field. This barn has done well with their turf runners over the last year and I like the stretch out for her in this spot. As a three year old filly, there is still more upside with her than most in this field. I do like horses at this meet that have fared well in previous starts over this course. Not every horse performs as well when racing at night and racing over this surface, so backing horses that have done well here is appealing to me. Both Silent Melody (#3) and Sliver of Sunshine (#8) fit into that mold. They were both winners here last fall with Silent Melody scoring in a $16K-$14K N2L claiming race and Sliver of Sunshine breaking her maiden in a $25K-$20K maiden claimer. I like the added distance for Sliver of Sunshine after three straight 5 ½ furlong sprints off the layoff this summer at Monmouth. Her ceiling isn’t very high, but I do think she’s capable of running a better race at two turns on this course. Silent Melody has not been in good form of late, which is worth noting. She’ll get class relief while running for her 4th different trainer since her last win, which was the victory on this course. She has caught softer courses in Virginia and Delaware in her last few starts, so a firmer course against softer competition may be a good remedy for this six year old mare.
Race 6:
We’ll close out the evening with a $10K maiden claiming race going 1 1/16 miles over the turf course. The bottom level for maiden claimers on the turf at Monmouth is $16K-$14K, and this race definitely came up softer than most of those races downstate this summer. Berman (#1) is going to be a short price that I’m not going to try to beat in this race. I don’t like the favorites in the first two races in the $3 Late Pick-3, so I’d be very content going into this race singled to this War Dancer gelding. He’s a lightly raced horse in a field where many of the other runners have had many chances to get that elusive first win. He gets Lasix for the first time after struggling with state bred $50K maiden claimers at Saratoga. He’s a homebred facing a shorter field after running in full fields in his last two starts. He has tactical speed and just appears to be better than the rest of these. I’ll look to the Mike Dini second time starter, Bee More (#6) as a backup in this spot. This Ballybrit homebred showed little in his dirt debut where he missed the break and was loping along well behind his rivals. His pedigree suggests that he could be better on the turf and added distance should be welcomed. I prefer him as a price underneath here, but this is a second time starter that might be worth taking a flyer on in this spot, assuming we’re getting better than his 10-1 morning line figure.
Final 2025 Meet Statistics:
Top Pick Winners; 15/54 (27.8%), $166.60, $3.09 ROI
