WINTER MEET STATS: 42-10-7-5 / $49.40 (-$34.60) BEST BETS: 3-1-0-1 / $3.40 (-$2.60) SPOT PLAYS: 3-1-0-1 / $4.20 (-$1.80) BEST BET: DEFAMATION (13th) SPOT PLAY: NET WEIGHT (12th) Race 1: Trackmaster 68 (NW L4 69) or less - Pick 5 (5) JUST MY WORLD came here last week and faced tougher in what looks like the same class. Three-year-old could show some speed here and take charge. (10) BOLOGNA N is another with some speed in her arsenal. The qualifier doesn’t look great but the time was good enough to go with these. I’d be willing to take a shot. (4) SPEED WRITER is back in TM68 where she was second a couple of starts back. Still, she’s 1 for 21 lifetime. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2: Non-winners $5,000 (NW L2 $5,500) in last 5/TM 80.5 (NW L2 82.5) or less (3) LOVE THIS BAR seemed a bit one-paced visually in his last race but you really can’t expect him to come home much faster than 28 1/5 during the winter. Hopefully he’ll be kept a bit closer to the front this week. (4) CHIPLOSIVE qualified back well and may benefit from the 36 days on the sidelines. At least we know he can win in this condition and the price will be right with Borjas driving. (5) PRINCE ARCHIE has been pretty good at Monticello of late and wasn’t bad when last here; using mostly underneath in the exotics. (8) AARDIES PEAK N seems to break every other week and this is the bad week in the sequence; she’s risky but capable. Race 3: Trackmaster 71 (NW L2 73.05) or less - Survivor 7 (10) IN ERA’S IMAGE didn’t give it much of a go in her first start for this barn after missing four weeks of action. The post certainly won’t help her chances but I do believe there is more to this 4-year-old than we saw last time and the price will be sweet. (3) JOB CRUNCH has been awful and there is no denying it. That said, we get class relief and the addition of Lasix tonight. She could be worth a flyer. (2) ALMOST KAREN is more than capable of winning in this condition and perhaps the four weeks off will perk her back up. (1) LE BEC FIN rallied from third out of post 10 here back on December 11. Can she find that mile again? Race 4: Trackmaster 68 (NW L4 69) or less (10) OAHU takes on older but at least it gives you hope that there is room for improvement. Three-year-old filly finished in 28 seconds in her first start over the track and that final quarter jumps off the page versus a field that has just seven wins in their last 233 starts. (3) SCARLET MOON has nearly half of the wins from this group last year and certainly earned the most money. Let’s see if she is tight enough to win here after going 2:00-plus miles lately on the half at Cumberland. (8) COUNTLESS MARA has consistently been finishing ok of late. She seems worthwhile for the bottom exotics. Race 5: Trackmaster 74.5 (NW L2 76.55) or less (3) DELITEFULCATHERIN N gets class relief tonight via the sub condition of the TM scale. She has some legitimate excuses for her last two failures here and can turn it around. (5) SO DIVA comes with the uncertainty of missing 35 days, but she hit the board almost 50% of the time in 2025. (7) BELLA ARTISTE did some good things and earned plenty of money in Delaware. Mare has good early speed but it is still a mystery as to whether she’ll drop time on the big track. Race 6: Non-winners $5,000 (NW L2 $5,500) or less/TM 80.5 (NW L2 82.5) or less - $50K GTD Pick 4 (4) CHANCEOFLIGHTNING got in tight and looked to hit a wheel causing a break last time. None of that changes that she fits in this class and the addition of Colin Kelly to the team will only help. (1) I’M A BELIEVER was stuck in post 10 when shipping over last weekend. The post shift is huge and a wakeup is likely. (7) TH RIZZO owns back-to-back seconds in this class; obvious contender. (3) COVER THE CROWN went a big mile on the engine versus a different class of horses. Is she sharp enough to handle this group? Race 7: Meadowlands Amateur Drivers Club 1 Pace (2) SEIZE CONTROL was claimed by these connections and wound up stuck in outside posts in both starts. He closed well in each and should benefit moving inside versus a competitive field. (9) ROCK THE CAPTAIN N won two of three amateur starts here back in December but has fallen on some bad luck of late. With the outside post there is opportunity to get a good price on a capable horse. (4) THE OPENER has the early speed to get into great position but these races tend to be contested. I’d consider him more for underneath. (7) MARSHALL ZHUKOV missed by just a half-length a week ago in this series. Race 8: Non-winners $12,500 (NW L2 $14,000) in last 5/TM 86.5 (NW L2 88.7) or less - Pick 6 ($1,380 C/O) (4) FULL OF MUSCLES went a big mile on the rim last time when losing by just a neck. The price is going to drop from the 40-1 we got last time but should still be plenty fair. (6) SUPER DUPER COOPER was used through a 54 4/5 half and wound up a good second last weekend; clear threat. (8) HIGH SPEED SWAN has missed a bunch of time on a brief winter vacation following the $35,000 Harrisburg mixed sale purchase. If he’s ready, watch out. Race 9: Meadowlands Amateur Drivers Club 1 Pace (9) ILLUSION SEELSTER lands in the amateur ranks this week and finds the much softer division. Six-year-old picks up one of the better pilots and has the early speed to get into play. (6) BARE BONE went a long mile in her last try here; new driver tonight helps? (5) PARKLANE TERROR was second and third in his last two appearances in this condition. You can toss that last line from post 10. (8) ROCK ON LINE doesn’t have the best current form but he’s certainly in a soft spot and could perk up in a hurry. Race 10: Non-winners $7,500 in last 5/TM 83.5 (NW L2 85.5) or less - $50K GTD Pick 4 (4) DISTANT DRUMS displayed no signs of his breaking issues while sprinting home in 27 2/5 with hobbles added last time. This guy has always been good at winning and if he has his head on straight now is very capable in this class. (7) CACTUSTOTHECLOUDS was a solid second in this class last time and he certainly has a chance in here if able to get an easy lead. (9) BE DIFFERENT and (3) MR KNOWITALL both take a meaningful step down the class ladder and either could be a threat with a smooth journey. (8) IKON VANG DK keeps Beckwith and is certainly a horse to consider in the Pick 4. Race 11: Non-winners $7,500 (NW L2 $8,250) in last 5/TM 83.5 (NW L2 85.5) or less (2) AVF CLAIRE missed over a year of action and when she did return it was more than a month after a qualifier and then three weeks after that. Six-year-old has always been fast and seeing her return on a more normal cycle of two weeks is encouraging for a big mile. (3) MY AUGUST MOON A and (4) SWEDISH STARLET N are both dropping in class. The former is also making her second start back from a break and could improve off that angle. The latter had no shot last time after coming away near the back of the pack. Race 12: Winners 2-4 (NW L2 5) races or $55,000 (NW L2 $60,000) life (2) NET WEIGHT aborted a leave attempt and finished well while out-kicked late last time. Note that it was just his second start since July and he dropped six seconds from start one. He should be a prime spot to drop multiple seconds off his career mark. (3) GLUTES HANOVER battled hard trying to brush to the front and deserves plenty of credit for hanging around through the wire. I can see him sitting first or second here and that trip might get the job done. (1) ZENMEISTER S turned in two solid qualifiers since coming over from Sweden. He can certainly be good enough to win but likely at an underlaid price. (9) EXQUISITE TASTE rolled by the field impressively last time but I imagine her move will come too late. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 13: Trackmaster 71 (NW L2 73.05) or less (1) DEFAMATION went a very credible mile in his first start for new connections. She moves to the inside of the gate and seems ready to pop off a big mile versus a soft group. (10) SWEET SANDY has picked up a third in three straight starts in this class. The outside post isn’t ideal but there may be opportunity to leave and find a good seat mid-pack or better. (8) WON’T BACK DOWN sprinted home in 27 seconds off a good trip in her first start for this barn. The price should remain reasonable enough to take a shot. Race 14: Trackmaster 68 (NW L4 69) or less (2) TARGARYEN EMPRESS displayed some late life last Friday and perhaps that is a sign of form heading her way. This field is loaded with potential early speed players and she can take advantage. (7) MISS YOU JOANN and (1) GIRL ALMIGHTY are two relatively sharp horses also capable of doing good work at the end of the mile. Both are serious threats.