The northeast is preparing for the possibility of a nor’easter to hit somewhere along the coast over the next few days. However, as of this moment, the Friday night card at the Meadowlands seems secure. There’s another six race, all-turf card starting at 7:00 (EDT).
| Race | Top Pick | A | B | C | Exotics Menu |
| 1 | 7 | 7,6 | DBL, PK3, PK6 | ||
| 2 | 5 | 5,4 | 2 | DBL, PK3, PK5 | |
| 3 | 2 | 2,5 | DBL, PK3, PK4 | ||
| 4 | 6 | 6 | 8,2 | DBL, $3 Late PK3 | |
| 5 | 12 | 12,1 | 5,4 | $5 Late DBL | |
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Race 1:
The Friday night card begins with a $10K maiden claiming race for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles over the turf course. The rails for all six races tonight will be set at 17 feet. Paco Lopez did not ride here last weekend, but he is named to ride five horses tonight, all of which should be priced on the shorter side. He rides Light de Night (#6), who has a strong chance in this race. She has been a beaten favorite in her last two starts with $16K maiden claimers at Colonial. She’s been close in her last four starts, but she’s come up empty each time, twice while Paco was in the saddle. She cost $200K, and she drops in class again today, which tells me her connections don’t believe she has a high ceiling. She’ll be on my tickets, but I think there’s more upside with First Class T L C (#7) for Rick Dutrow. She finished 6th in her debut against open maiden special weight types this summer at Gulfstream. She changed barns and dropped in class for her second try, which came at Monmouth. That race was carded for the turf, but was rained off. She handled herself nicely on the main track, finishing up third that afternoon. She figures to be able to move forward again on grass, and the price should be slightly better with her.
Race 2:
Seven fillies and mares will go 1 1/16 miles in this beaten $5K claimer. Bravo Kitten (#5) is the play in this race for me. She was sharp when racing on the turf at Tampa in the spring before she moved to Presque Isle Downs for the summer. She was serviceable in lower level claiming races there, but synthetic racing was never really her thing. She’s 0-12 on synthetic courses whereas she’s 2-19, with 10 in the money finishes on the lawn. She’s been off form lately, so that is a bit of a concern, but if she’s sitting there at her 5-1 morning line number, that would be a risk I’d be willing to take. Stella Mars (#4) is a portrait of consistency, posting the same 68 Beyer Speed Figure in her last four starts. Most likely, that’s a number that is going to be good enough to put her right in the mix at this level. This eight year old mare has lost a step, but she’s good enough to beat these. On deeper tickets, I’ll toss in Total Bliss (#2). She’s making her first start since July, and both of her 2026 starts have been disastrous. Her recent works at Delaware have been sharper though. She does have a few turf races on her resume that put her in the conversation for this race, assuming she’s up to par in her first start in the last two months.
Race 3:
This is another race where Paco is going to be riding a short priced favorite. Noble Jon (#5) technically is moving up in class to this $12,500-$10,500 claiming level after a pair of solid efforts with $10K claimers at Colonial. While I don’t have an issue with class, I’m not sure the five furlong trip is his best distance. He’s going to be coming from off the pace, so Paco is going to have to keep him out of traffic to score. He’s worth using, but I think Beware of Pride (#2) offers better value. He was a winner on this course at this distance last fall and he’s a horse that prefers five furlongs to 5 ½. All of his turf races this year have been at 5 ½ and that form has been muddied up a bit with some dirt races mixed in there. He has wins in his last two starts at this distance going back to 2025. His last few turf starts have come against tougher opposition, so there’s some class relief being offered as well.
Race 4:
Tonight’s featured race is a state bred, optional $15K claiming/N1X allowance race for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles. I think Omahamoiselle (#6) makes a lot of sense in the top spot in this race. She has found her comfort zone in two turn races on the turf this year. She decimated a $40K-$30K maiden claiming field at Monmouth two starts back when she was eligible to run with the waiver. Ben Perkins Jr., sent her to Colonial where she was able to compete in a restricted allowance race with a $90K purse. She faced a tougher bunch and just missed at 7-1. She’s getting class relief despite running well, and since this might be one of her last chances to run with state bred foes on the turf this year, I like that Perkins found this spot for her. With Paco Lopez riding Golden Ring (#7), I think that will keep her price from dipping too low. However, she is the best of this bunch on paper. I do think there’s value to be had underneath though. Eazy Whirled (#8) has some muddied form, but she’s at her best when going two turns on the turf. I liked her a lot in a beaten claiming race last out at Monmouth, but a bad break made her job that much tougher. She has had some trouble at the gate this year, so that is worth noting. While I wouldn’t want to take too short of a price on her because of that, she makes a ton of sense underneath. A longer price that is interesting to me is Point to That Star (#3). Relyu Gutierrez has been productive with the few horses that he’s ridden on this course this season. She broke her maiden at Monmouth when going five furlongs back in June. Her first try at this level was terrible three starts ago. She struggled in a sprint two back and didn’t run a step in a race taken off the turf in her latest try. I do see her as a horse that has a forward move in this race.
Race 5:
This $7,500-$6,500 N3L claiming race for fillies and mares going five furlings is the only race on the card that has some also-eligible runners. It;s a bit of a shame because I do think this is a very good spot for Midsummer Mo (#12). She’s been on a steady diet of these five furlong sprint races in her last four starts. She has a win and two second place finishes in that span. While she has some tactical speed, her outside draw should allow her to stalk the pace and make a run at the leaders. There’s plenty of cheap speed signed on for this race and this course was not easy for frontrunners to carry their speed on last weekend. I like her coming from just off the pace if she gets to participate. Pure Bliss (#1) is probably the fastest filly in this race. She’s been very sharp in her last two starts at this distance. She does have a race at 5 ½ furlongs at Colonial sandwiched in between those efforts where she totally quit in the late stages. She was a winner on this course last year. If the top pick doesn’t go, I’m not sure there’s anyone that can keep up with her. Emily Reward (#5) was a sharp winner at this distance three back downstate at Monmouth. Her two turf starts there this summer were better than anything that she did on the dirt. Carol Cedeno rode a few winners here last fall and she’ll take the assignment aboard this mare tonight. Conceptualize (#4) is worth thinking about as a backup in this race. She’s making her second start off a lengthy layoff. She showed speed before falling apart late. Her 2025 form is good enough to win here, but the drop in class makes me wonder if her connections don’t think she’s going to get all the way back.
Race 6:
Paco Lopez will be on some live mounts at short prices on this card, but I think his best chance to find the Winner’s Circle might come aboard Souper Crunchy (#3) in this $25K N4L claiming race. There is next to no speed signed on for this race, and while this one doesn’t necessarily want to set the tempo, he has more tactical speed than most in this race. This is the kind of horse that Paco rides so well. He’s not afraid to take the initiative if no one else is going to send, but he’s more likely to let this one hound the leader. He’s given him very good rides in his last two starts at Delaware and Colonial. Right to WIn (#6) is the logical alternative in this race. He’s making his third start off the layoff after a pair of dull efforts against better fields at Ellis and Saratoga. His 2025 was good enough to win this race with relative ease, so if this six year old gelding is going to get back to being that kind of horse, this might be the spot to do so. He is joining a new barn, and if the odds disparity widens, I’d definitely be more inclined to use him a little more prominently.
