East Rutherford, NJ - The Meadowlands presents another weekend of racing with a pair
of fourteen race cards on tap at 6:35 p.m. both Friday and Saturday (February
19 & 20) nights.
The
Meadowlands goes into the weekend looking to continue the current
streak of five consecutive $3 million plus handle nights. Friday's program
offers more of the exciting, competitive racing that has marked the winter meet
thus far with big fields, low take-out and guaranteed pools creating some big
shots for the horseplayer. The last race Super Hi-5 Jackpot is now at the
doorstep of a $100,000 carryover.
Free program pages are available for the
$50,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4 and live paddock chatter right from the
"Horse's Mouth" is always just a click away via the Meadowlands twitter feed.
Trotters take center
stage in the ninth race, the $25,000 Open Handicap. There's an interesting new
shooter leaving from the rail this week in Rock Of Cashel. This Ontario-bred
labored in anonymity as a youngster north of the border but blossomed when he
arrived state-side and landed in Mark Harder's barn.
Racing
primarily over the half miler at Yonkers, Rock Of Cashel earned over
$128,000 for owners Joseph Jannuzzelli and Jeffrey Ruch last season. After two
consecutive breaks at Yonkers in the new year, Harder brought him to the
Meadowlands to qualify over the mile track resulting in a big effort with a 27
flat final quarter. Last week against condition types, Rock Of Cashel
trotted the race of his life winning in a career best 1:53.2 by a widening
seven lengths.
That win earned him a
promotion to the top class, where he will start from the rail against many
of the best trotters currently racing. While Corey Callahan drove Rock Of
Cashel to last week's victory, he opted off for Friday's race and Brett Miller
inherits the live steer.
Off the track, Victory
Sports Bar will host the first Men Of
Playboy Review at The Meadowlands. Tickets are $25 in advance and the
boys pledge to whip their audience into a frenzy.
Even bigger news is the National Handicapping
Championship (NHC) qualifier on Saturday night. The top three finishers
qualify for the rich NHC final in Las Vegas next year.
Post Time to 7:15
p.m. in mid-March
Meadowlands faithful
should take note that beginning on March 18 post time will be moved to
7:15 p.m. This move is in anticipation to carding fewer races once other tracks
in the surrounding area reopen for their 2016 live season.
