There are just 86 days to go.
Harness racing’s most-storied event is celebrating a remarkable milestone this year at the industry’s top venue as the 100th edition of the Hambletonian will take place in just under three months at The Meadowlands, on Saturday, Aug. 2.
The Hambo, as well as a laundry list of supporting stakes events, will take place on the first Saturday in August. That day is so special on the Big M’s calendar, that it is the only card of the 94 this year at the mile oval that takes place during the day. Post time is noon, and the $1-million Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters tops a card that features nine other major events – including the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for sophomore filly trotters – on a day where purses for the program are estimated at $3.24 million.
“Hambletonian Day is the most popular event in harness racing,” said Meadowlands’ Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “It always brings out a big crowd, and features the very best horses, trainers and drivers in the world. For true harness fans, it is a can’t miss day at the races.”
Maryland, the standout 2-year-old from 2024, is the early favorite to win The Hambletonian after winning six-of-nine starts a year ago, good for earnings of just over $1.2 million, a bankroll that led all horses in the sport.
The Marcus Melander trained son of Chapter Seven-Crucial is certain to open up at No. 1 in Big M track announcer Ken Warkentin’s weekly “Road to The Hambletonian” Top 10, which will make its debut during the first week of June and will come out for 10 straight Wednesdays.
A national television audience will once again be able to watch The Hambletonian live, as FOX Sports will broadcast the event as part of its “America’s Day at the Races” series.
In the coming months, there will be a plethora of special events surrounding “America’s Trotting Classic”. Much of that information will be available on The Meadowlands website, playmeadowlands.com. For complete statistical data, upcoming events, upcoming prep races and everything else Hambletonian, go to the society’s website, hambletonian.com.
Do you like lots of fun facts about the #Hambletonian100 countdown? Of course you do! To get in on the fun, go to https://www.facebook.com/HambletonianSociety and https://www.facebook.com/HarnessRacingDC.
EARLY PREGAME SHOW: With The Meadowlands now having the first race of every race card go to the gate without a post-time drag and begin promptly at 6:20 p.m., the track’s live simulcast show will now begin 15 minutes earlier, at 5:30 p.m., every live racing night.
DUNN IN THE SULKY: Dexter Dunn, the United States Harness Writers Association Dan Patch Driver of the Year Award winner five of the last six years, will be Dave Little’s guest on Saturday night on the track’s “In the Sulky” interview segment. It will begin at approximately 5:35 p.m.
Dunn and Little will discuss the New Zealand native’s fabulous 2025, which saw him win a record six Breeders Crown titles.
In addition, Dunn will weigh-in on Maryland and Captain Optimistic, who are big-time 2025 Hambletonian and Meadowlands Pace contenders, respectively.
A GRAND CONTEST: The fifth edition of the 2025 Meadowlands Monthly Handicapping Contest takes place on Friday, May 16, and for visitors to The Big M, playing the contest is something they should consider even if they have not participated in competitions like this before.
The monthly challenge offers $1,000 in cash prizes.
If a track visitor is someone that doesn’t mind risking $100 during the course of a race card, then the contest is for them, as that $100 that gets them into the contest is not an entry free, but money that buys one a ‘betting card’. If they hit big that night, they keep every penny of that green. In addition, if they finish in the top four, they walk away with that additional prize money, and, if in the top two, collect not only prize money but also earn a spot in the end-of-the-year competition that offers cash prizes totaling $10,000.
Contest format:
· Contestants must be on-site to participate
· Contestants must buy a $100 betting card to participate
· Contestants must bet a minimum of five Meadowlands races
· There is no minimum or maximum bet per race
· Contestants can play any wager(s) on The Meadowlands live wagering menu
· Contestants keep all pari-mutuel winnings
· Contestants can enter as many times as they wish
· The top two finishers earn spots in the $10,000 end-of-the-year contest
Remaining contest schedule:
· Friday, May 16
· Friday, June 20
· Friday, July 18
· Saturday, August 30
· Saturday, October 25
· Friday, November 21
· The $10,000 invitation-only final is on Saturday, December 13
Players that have qualified for the December contest are Nick Montemurro and Gary Scogna (the top two finishers from January); Michael Grasso and Montemurro (February); Sean Loebs and Joe Barre (March); and Robert Glaser and Jim Bohnarczyk (April).
Complete contest rules and regulations can be found here.
To participate, players must be 18 years of age or older to wager on racing. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please get help at 1-800-GAMBLER.
GOING NATIONAL: For a fifth consecutive year, the TV teams at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Meadowlands will combine forces to bring high-caliber harness racing stakes events to a national television audience over the networks of FOX Sports as part of NYRA’s “America’s Day at the Races” telecasts.
The first of eight scheduled shows will be broadcast on Saturday, May 17, when The Big M showcases the best older trotters in North America in the $175,000 (est.) Arthur J. Cutler Memorial. In addition to coverage from the East Rutherford oval, races from Indiana’s Hoosier Park will also be featured.
The Meadowlands’ Otten and Hoosier Park’s Gabe Prewitt will provide commentary from their respective venues.
Here is the schedule for the FOX Sports shows, with the event(s) that will be featured and the time the show will be broadcast. Which FOX network the show can be found on – Fox 5 New York (locally), FS1 or FS2 – will be determined:
· May 17 – Cutler Memorial, 8-11 p.m., FS2
· June 28 – Perfect Sting, Brower Memorial, Crawford Farms, Six Pack, 8-11 p.m., TBA
· July 5 – Stan Bergstein Graduate finals; Meadowlands Pace eliminations, 8-11 p.m., TBA
· July 12 – Meadowlands Pace Night (multiple stakes), 8-11 p.m., TBA
· August 2 – Hambletonian Day (multiple stakes), 1-7 p.m., TBA
· September 5 – New Jersey Classic Series finals, 8-11 p.m., TBA
· November 1 – Kindergarten finals, 8-11 p.m., TBA
· November 15 – Fall Final Four, 8-11 p.m., TBA
-edited release (Meadowlands)