2025 STATS: 49 - 196 / $524.30 (+$132.30)
BEST BETS: 7 - 14 / $28.70 (+$0.70)
SPOT PLAYS: 5 - 14 / $144.80 (+$116.80)
BEST BET-DELE ROW A (6th)
SPOT PLAY-MASTER CHARLES A (4th)
Race 1 - NW2500L5 (NW L2/NJSO NW3000L5) Pace - Pick 5
(3) PRIMARY COLORS returns to the East Coast and to the Per Engblom stable tonight and was facing much better than these when last seen locally. Anything in the neighborhood of his best should get the job done. (5) THE BIGBOSS A gets some post relief off a couple of gaining fifth-place finishes since he dropped down to this level. (7) STORM THE COURT lacks obvious form but is in the softest spot he's been in lately and got the nod from driver Ridge Warren over THE BIGBOSS A.
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Race 2 - TrackMaster Rating 74.5 (NW L2 76.5) or Less Pace
(8) SUNSHINE'S FINEST tallied at this level back on 11-29, and this looks like a softer group than the one he faced in that 1:51 1/5 mile a couple weeks ago. (10) YER SO BAD will have to overcome the ten-hole but exits the amateur races in great form and just won from post eight on 12-12. (7) GALANTE A was scratched most recently at Yonkers, but prior to that I think he was in against tougher horses than he meets up with here, and he's won at the Meadowlands in the past.
Race 3 - 3-5YO 15000-20000CLM HCP Pace - Survivor Pick 7
(6) SMOOCH IN THE DARK paced a 27 second final quarter when he added Lasix on 12-18 and hopefully will be closer to the action here from a better post. (2) CAPTIVATED meets up with age-restricted foes rather than the open TrackMaster 77.5s or 80.5s he's been in against lately and he owns a win at the Meadowlands as recently as November 6. (9) BETTING ON CAESAR put in a game mile to finish third despite never seeing the pylons last Saturday. He's stuck with another bad post here and I'll use underneath.
Race 4 - TrackMaster Rating 80.5 (NW L2 82.65) or Less Pace
(2) MASTER CHARLES A closed in 26 3/5 in his qualifier and his U.S. debut last week. This should be an easier spot than the NW12500L5s he faced in that race, and he picks up a catch driver as Steve Smith takes over. (6) FASTING steps up again but is two-for-two for Engblom thus far and makes his third start back after some time off. (5) WHAMMER JAMMER rallied to finish second at this level last Saturday and has been out of the trifecta just once in his last five appearances overall.
Race 5 - 15000-17500CLM HCP Pace
(7) HUNT FOR CASH should have picked up plenty of confidence with a romping victory in an amateur race last Friday, and he's hit the board in three straight outings overall. (5) ROCKME ROLLME prevailed in upset fashion at the Meadowlands on December 6 and backed that up with a third against $20,000 claiming company at Yonkers in a subsequent effort. (2) PALOMAR posted a runner-up result at the Meadowlands on the 21st of December and returns off a third at Harrah's Philadelphia most recently.
Race 6 - TrackMaster Rating 83.5 (NW L2 85.5) or Less Pace - $50K GTD Pick 4 Pool
(4) DELE ROW A had plenty of pace on the end of the mile in his U.S. debut a week ago and was racing in Group 1/Group 2 events in Australia prior to being sent over here. (3) DA DELIGHTFUL is on a four-race streak of results in the top three and gets to drop a notch off a gaining second-place finish against TrackMaster Rating 86 foes last Saturday. (2) SAN JOSE just continues rising up through the TrackMaster Rating classes, and I'll put him underneath here as he gets some post relief off his most recent win.
Race 7 - 30000-40000CLM HCP Pace
(9) ARDEN MESSI N landed another bad post tonight but closed in 26 4/5 in a fifth-place finish for a red-hot stable in this class a week ago and has shown a lot more early speed in his other recent races. (7) BOSTON BOUND won the event my top selection exits from last Saturday and makes his second start back after a layoff here. (5) SUN OF A SHOW hasn't been out of the trifecta in three appearances for his current connections between the Meadowlands and Pocono and moves in from the eight-hole to post five.
Race 8 - TrackMaster Rating 90 (NW 2 in Last 4 Starts 92) or Less Pace - Pick 6
(10) MAXIM HANOVER exits the Open and I'll give him top call here despite the ten-hole as he did have pace in the stretch last week and makes his second start back after a layoff. (6) MUSIC HALL wrapped up the meet at Yonkers in pretty dominant form and has also won at the Meadowlands in the past. (2) CAPTAIN CRUSADER A is now on a three-race win streak between here and Harrah's Philadelphia and moves in on the gate to post two this time.
Race 9 - 20000-25000CLM HCP Pace
(8) CAVIART CAMDEN drops a notch on the claiming scale this week, and he may have needed his start last Saturday as he'd been off since November 28 at Harrah's Hoosier Park following a sick scratch on 12-13. (4) SON OF A TIGER N rallied from tenth to third in the back-half of his mile last Saturday and slides in from the nine-hole to post three here. (5) MOOD CONTROL didn't show much over at Yonkers to end the meet but qualified well at the Meadowlands a week ago and I'll toss him in the mix underneath.
Race 10 - Open Handicap (NW20000L5 or NW of a Race since 10-25-25 Drawn Inside) Pace - $50K GTD Pick 4 Pool
(5) CHRISTOPHER DANCE N disappointed last week when he got away eighth and was too far back to make any impact. His form prior to that was excellent, though, and I expect he's going to be a lot more prominent from a better post tonight. (8) PINNY TIGER A kept his win streak from Yonkers going in the the Open Handicap a week ago and packs enough early speed to land a spot on or near the lead again. (7) LOU HILL prevailed at Yonkers in his second outing for Engblom on December 15 and recently added Lasix.
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Race 11 - Winners of 2 but not more than 4 (NW L2/NJSO/3YO 5) Ext. PM Races or 50000LT (NW L2/NJSO/3YO 60000LT) Pace
(7) DONT DROP THE BALL scored in this class on 12-6 and faced tough older foes from post ten last Saturday. He meets up with mostly 3-year-olds tonight and moves in on the gate. (1) TIP OF TIME had some traffic trouble a couple of weeks ago and slides in to the pole position off three appearances at the Meadowlands where he had post six once and post seven twice. (3) CARRONSIDELEGCY GB came in second in an improved effort over at Yonkers most recently and makes his third start on Lasix here.
Race 12 - TrackMaster Rating 77.5 (NW L2 79.55) or Less Pace
(4) BETTOR MAKE A WISH zipped home in 26 4/5 a fourth-place finish at this level a week ago and gets to partner with leading driver Brett Beckwith again from a much-better post. (8) DREAMLANDCAPPUCINO has a third and a second in two good efforts since he went on Lasix and Jim Marohn Jr. started piloting him. (9) LOUIS LITT N drew poorly again like he has in all of his appearances for the last month but stormed from tenth to third in the back-half of his mile last Saturday.
Race 13 - NW5000L5 (NJSO/NW L2 NW5500L5) / Starters NW2500 or Less Last Start Pace
(5) TWIN FURY advanced from last to fifth with a 26 and change final quarter at this level last Saturday and moves in from the ten-hole to post five tonight. (4) LYRICAL GENIUS A was second in the corresponding class to this one at Yonkers on 11-14 and has been facing tougher foes over there since then. (6) CHEVRON ART N came in fourth in a NW7500L5 contest as the favorite a week ago and drops a notch here in his second outing in the U.S.
Race 14 - TrackMaster Rating 71 (NW L2 73.35) or Less Pace - Hi-5
(8) MEET THE CREEPER owns a second in this class on 11-29 and a third on 11-8, and I think that makes him the one to beat in the finale for 2025 at the Meadowlands. (4) LYLEGROUND comes in with three straight on-the-board finishes, including a third at this level a couple of weeks ago. (3) JUMPING JAKE gets some post relief this time and shows a third against tougher TrackMaster Rating 74.5 company as recently as the 22nd of November.