2026 MEET STATS: 5 - 20 / $40.64 (+$0.64)
BEST BETS: 2 - 2 / $8.32 (+$4.32)
SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 2 / $19.94 (+$15.94)
BEST BET - TRUMP THE WARRIOR (2nd)
SPOT PLAY - SENSI AMNESIA (3rd)
Race 1 - F&M 20000CLM Pace
(2) I LOVED HER FIRST moves in on the gate off a third last Tuesday and gets to partner with Jason Bartlett again. (1) DISARONNO HILL led for a long way before she wound up fourth on 1-20 and starts from the pole position here. She also debuts for new connections off a claim. (4) KAT was a determined victor in the same race my top pick exits and has hit the board in five of her last seven appearances overall.
[DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card]
Race 2 - Winners of 2 but not more than 4 PM Races or 60000LT Trot
(3) TRUMP THE WARRIOR had success late last year against NW3s and NW5s at Harrah's Philadelphia and was fourth in his 2026 debut at the Meadowlands on 1-16. He switches pilots to Bartlett here for leading trainer Per Engblom. (4) ENTERTAIN ME lost all chance with an early break a week ago but shows a trio of on-the-board efforts against NW3s at Harrah's Philadelphia, including a win on Christmas Eve. (6) MARIN COUNTY makes his second start on Lasix and gets a bit of post relief to go with it.
Race 3 - Winners of 5 but not more than 7 PM Races or 105589LT Trot
(3) SENSI AMNESIA broke at the Meadowlands on 1-11 but did very well in this class after she started racing at Yonkers last year and I'll hope the switch back to the half-mile oval agrees with her. (6) KEWPIE DOLL went on a big run of form late in 2025 after she added trotting hobbles and is another Bartlett/Engblom collaboration. (5) BOURBONISTA S was third at this level a week ago and recently went on Lasix.
Race 4 - 30000CLM Pace
(1) ALTA CLASSIC A has Bartlett to drive for a second time and gets to slide in from the eight-hole to post one off a third on 1-19. (6) HAMMERING HANK finished in the runner-up spot in the same event my top pick exits and makes his second start on Lasix tonight. (2) AMERITRIC faces open $30,000 claimers here rather than the age-restricted claiming foes he downed last Monday, but he does own a victory in this class on 10-16.
Race 5 - 15000CLM Pace
(6) SHAKE IT drops a notch and gets reunited with Bartlett here in his second outing of 2026. (4) NEYREIT woke up in a major way last Monday with an impressive victory and has Yannick Gingras in the bike again tonight. (5) ROCKET FREIGHT was third at this level to close out 2025 and I think can get the same result here, hopefully with a bit of value underneath.
Race 6 - NW12386L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5 Pace
(3) CHURCHVIEWFRANKL IR closed well in a fourth-place finish when he dropped down to this level a week ago and gets some post relief this time. (1) ROLLING WITH SAM was a gaining third against NW15000L5s last Tuesday and slides down a notch on the ladder tonight. (4) WESTERN ERA came in fifth in the same race ROLLING WITH SAM exits and prevailed in the corresponding class to this one at Harrah's Philadelphia prior to that.
Race 7 - Winners of 2 but not more than 4 PM Races or 60000LT Trot
(2) EXQUISITE TASTE landed an inside post here after a couple of tough draws over at the Meadowlands to start 2026. She did prevail two back at The Big M and shows a third in her Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final at Woodbine Mohawk Park on 10-11. (4) BELMONDO closed with trot at this level a week ago and makes his second start without trotting hobbles tonight. (1) MESSENGER HANOVER couldn't gain after tipping out of the pocket last Wednesday but was favored in that tilt and was sharp in the final couple months of 2025.
Race 8 - 20000CLM Pace
(2) HURRIKANEKINGJAMES wasn't Gingras's choice in this race but had pace in the stretch a week ago and now drops and drew well again tonight, so I'll give him another chance. (8) TWO FACED will have to overcome the eight-hole but it's the Bartlett/Engblom combo again and he finished second to a well-meant winner last Wednesday. (1) FAMILY RECIPE finished third in the same event TWO FACED comes out of and starts from post one.
[DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter]
Race 9 - 25000CLM Pace
(2) REIGNING DEO gets a class drop/post relief combo tonight and shows three on-the-board results against tougher $30,000 claimers, including a win on 11-10. (1) LYONS BENJAMIN just missed in another strong effort last week. He debuts for new connections off a claim and slides inside to the pole position here. (4) KARLOO BRADLEY N has hit the board in four of his last six appearances and was third at this level a week ago to start his 2026 campaign.
Race 10 - 20000CLM Pace
(5) LOU'S BEACH never got involved from the eight-hole last week but drew better tonight and was sharp at the end of his season last year. (3) PINK FLOYD HANOVER went down the road to tally a week ago and got the nod from Matt Kakaley over a Travis Alexander horse here, which is normally significant. (2) HE'S SPECIAL drops out of the $25,000 claimers, moves in from the eight-hole to post two and gets to team up with Gingras again.