2025 STATS: 51 - 210 / $534.50 (+$114.50)
BEST BETS: 7 - 15 / $28.70 (-$1.30)
SPOT PLAYS: 6 - 15 / $152.80 (+$122.80)
BEST BET - OURMOMENTNTIME (12th)
SPOT PLAY - BLARNEY CASTLE (14th)
Race 1 - F&M NW2500L5 (NJSO or NW L2 NW3000L5) / TrackMaster Rating 77.5 (NW L2 79.5) or Less Pace *Pick 5*
(2) PIT BOSS HANOVER makes her second start for trainer Cory Stratton after she didn't get involved last time out at Harrah's Philadelphia. She has a much better post here and Stratton's horses often improve when they come from other ovals to the Meadowlands. (3) ODDS ON SARA SARA comes in off a romping victory and moves in from post seven to the three-hole here. (5) GRACEFUL GALA owns back-to-back runner-up results between here and Harrah's Philadelphia.
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Race 2 - TrackMaster Rating 71 (NW L2 or F&M 73.2) or Less Trot
(1) KNICKKNACK HANOVER took one chance against tougher TrackMaster rivals on December 18 and now drops back to the class where she prevailed on December 11. (4) PERRON has hit the board in three of four tries in this class since he came down from Saratoga and just missed on 12-19. (2) BARBELLA was a Maine Sire Stakes champion at 3 and now debuts for new connections and adds Lasix off a qualifier over the track.
Race 3 - F&M TrackMaster Rating 74.5 (NW L2 76.55) or Less Pace *Survivor Pick 7*
(6) NOT THAT HILLARY was second and then fourth against what I believe are tougher horses over at Yonkers on 12-10 and 12-17 and recently went on Lasix. (1) SUNBURNT came in second to the above-mentioned Odds On Sara Sara on December 19 in this class and moves in to the pole position tonight. (4) LIVE N THRIVE invades from Saratoga in sharp form, including a victory in her last effort.
Race 4 - NW5000L5 (NJSO/NW L2/F&M NW5500L5) / TrackMaster Rating 80.5 (NW L2/F&M 82.5) or Less Trot
(7) IKON VANG DK got the job done in each of his last two appearances at Saratoga and gets to partner with co-owner Beckwith again tonight. (2) BEACON BEACH responded to an aggressive try with a good second-place finish on December 11 and moves in from the eight-hole to post two. (4) GILLYS DE VIE was fourth the last time he raced in this class on 11-28 and has been facing tougher company since then.
Race 5 - F&M TrackMaster Rating 71 (NW L2 73) or Less Pace
(6) SPROUT inherited a victory by placing the last time she competed at this level on November 28 and drops here after she faced TrackMaster Rating 74.5 company in two December outings. (3) DREAM PILLAR finished just one-for-19 in the win column in 2025 but is on a three-race streak of runner-up results. That's where I'll slot her again. (2) SWEET SANDY was third in the same race that DREAM PILLAR exits from a couple weeks back and owns a recent triumph against TrackMaster Rating 68 or Less company.
Race 6 - F&M NW2 (NW L2/NJSO NW3) Ext. PM Races or 20000LT (NW L2/NJSO 30000LT) / Maidens Drawn Inside Pace *$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool*
(8) YOULLFINDOUT performed well over at Harrah's Philadelphia in December with a win and a second against NW1s and makes her third start back after a layoff tonight. (2) NILA MAREE N makes her U.S. debut for top connections tonight. My only concern is she has just one qualifier and that was almost a month ago. (5) ITHADTOBEYOU hit the board in all four of her efforts in Canada in 2024 and qualified well at the Meadowlands last Saturday.
Race 7 - TrackMaster Rating 77.5 (NW L2 or F&M 79.5) or Less Trot
(3) MASSIVE MATTER posted a runner-up finish two weeks ago and appears like he's been facing tougher company both here and over at Harrah's Philadelphia. (2) PARODY owns a win and a third in his last two tries at this level on November 28 and December 19. Breaking stride has been an issue for (5) AARDIES PEAK N, but when she stayed flat in this class on the 11th of December, she went to the winner's circle.
Race 8 - NW7500L5 / TrackMaster Rating 83.5 (NW L2/F&M 85.5) or Less Trot *Pick 6*
(3) SATURDAY hit the board in four straight tries to close out the meet at Saratoga and now comes south for a stable that's been doing well at the Meadowlands overall. (1) AARDIEBYTHEHILL N hasn't been seen since 11-28 after a sick scratch on 12-11 but was sharp prior to that, including a third at this level in his last trip behind the gate. (4) EYES OF JUSTICE downed $40,000 claimers at Yonkers two back and also prevailed at the Meadowlands back in early November.
Race 9 - NW12500L5 (NW L2 NW14000L5) / TrackMaster Rating 86.5 (NW L2/F&M 88.5) or Less Trot
(5) BIG BOX HANOVER faced some tough foes in the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series over at Yonkers in November and December and gets to stretch out on the big track tonight. (2) SUPER DUPER COOPER has hit the board in four of his last five appearances at the Meadowlands and out of town and was second to his rallying stablemate two weeks ago. (4) ENOLA comes south from Saratoga out of their Open and makes her third start back after a layoff.
Race 10 - F&M NW7500L5 (NJSO/NW L2 NW8250L5) / TrackMaster Rating 83.5 (NW L2/NJSO 85.5) Pace *$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool*
(6) AVF CLAIRE led for a long way from post eight before she wound up fifth at Harrah's Philadelphia on 12-12 and that was her first pari-mutuel effort in over a year. She makes her second start for these connections here and should be tighter. (8) PERFIDIOUS CROWN prevailed at this level at the Meadowlands on December 5 and backed that up with a second against NW10000L4 company at Harrah's Philadelphia on December 19. (2) MORE GOODA N came in second in her U.S. debut in this class two weeks ago, and I could easily see her being sharper tonight.
Race 11 - F&M NW12500L5 (NJSO/NW L2 NW13750L5) / TrackMaster Rating 86.70 (NW L2 88.5) or Less / NW9 (NW L2 10) Ext. PM Races LT Pace
(10) AARDIE B MIKI N will put in her second start after a bit of a layoff tonight, closed with pace from the back of the pack at Yonkers two weeks ago, and, despite the ten-hole, lays over this field given she's a legit stakes performer. (2) PRESSURE COOKER was the runner-up in the Invitational at Yonkers two back and gets significant post relief off her last appearance over there. (1) INTOTHEMYSTICMOON landed the pole position and is a second-timer for the Burke Brigade.
Race 12 - TrackMaster Rating 74.5 (NW L2 or F&M 76.50) or Less Trot
(7) OURMOMENTNTIME steps up in class tonight but won in his last outing of 2025 on 12-18 and now adds leading driver Brett Beckwith. (2) CANDY BOMBER offsets the hike from the TrackMaster 71 level with post relief and was a rallying winner on December 19. He also makes his third start back after a lengthy period on the shelf. (9) BANK BOX TREASURE was third against TrackMaster 74.5 company on the 12th of December and I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to fire out again tonight.
Race 13 - F&M NW5000L5 / TrackMaster Rating 80.5 (NW L2/NJSO 82.5) or Less Pace
(3) MISS DOTTIE MAE drops and gets a bit of post relief this time and her last win came in the corresponding class to this one at Yonkers on December 5. (2) TH RIZZO drew well tonight, unlike at Yonkers where she had post six or post eight in all of her appearances. She won across the river two back and looks like another contender on the card for trainer Per Engblom. (5) DELITFULCATHERIN N also comes over from Yonkers off a rallying second-place finish against $20,000 claimers from the seven-hole most recently.
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Race 14 - 5YO & Under TrackMaster Rating 71 (NW L2 73.55) or Less Trot
(5) BLARNEY CASTLE doesn't show much form since he returned to action but his last three outings came from bad posts. He gets some relief in that department tonight, has won at the Meadowlands before and races out of a stable that's capable of having one ready to fire a big mile. (6) CHASING CRYSTALS defeated NW3 foes at Harrah's Philadelphia on the 11th of December and backed that up with a third at this level at the Meadowlands on December 18. (1) MR INSTIGATOR slides in from post nine to the pole position off a fourth on the 18th of December and shows lines against much tougher NW3s and NW5s at Harrah's Philadelphia back in November.
Race 15 - 10000CLM Pace *Hi-5*
(5) MICKIE MANTLE ended up getting bothered when two foes in front of him hooked wheels last time out at Harrah's Philadelphia. He was third over there prior to that and races out of a stable that can have one ready for a top effort at any time. (2) BORN TO DANCE steps up in class but rallied in 26 3/5 to finish third on 12-18 and moves in from post seven to the two-hole. (9) DANCING LEW just missed in a rallying runner-up effort on the 18th of December.