2024 STATS: 12 - 42 / $88.20 (+$4.20) BEST BETS: 1 - 3 / $3.60 (-$2.40) SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 3 / $5.00 (-$1.00) BEST BET - SIDE PIECE (12th) SPOT PLAY - FINAL JUSTICE (1st) Race 1 - MADC 1 Pace (1) FINAL JUSTICE had little chance to show what he can do in his last two outings from post eight down at Freehold. Here he has the pole position, was in good form prior to that pair of poor draws on the half-mile oval and has won at the Meadowlands before. (3) TAKEITTOTHEFACE didn't threaten last Friday but that was his first start since mid-February. I think we could see some improvement tonight and he did win a MADC 1 race on 2-9. (6) ARYIANA STAR tired after a tough trip on the 23rd of February but has shown the ability to hit the board at the Meadowlands in the past, and I will include. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2 - NW2 Ext. PM Races of 230001LT/Maidens Draw Inside Trot (2) GREEN PASTURES is a risky pick given his breaking issues, but Todd McCarthy, who drives tonight, kept him flat in his qualifier on 2-24 and he flashed some late trot in the stretch. He did gap the gate in both of his qualifiers, so expect careful handling again. (3) DEVIOUS MOJITO AS delivered as the favorite in this class when last seen on February 23 and could be even sharper tonight as that victory came in his first effort of 2024. (8) LOVELY HEART cut the fractions and was second to DEVIOUS MOJITO AS in that tilt on the 23rd of February. She's performed pretty well in all of her efforts thus far in her 4-year-old campaign and gets a driver switch to Johnathan Ahle. Race 3 - Play Meadowlands Series Leg 1/NW5000L4/TrackMaster Rating 80 or Less as of 3-5-24 Trot (4) BLUEBIRD BISHOP drops and moves inside on the gate tonight. He has a couple of solid final quarters coming into this event and switches drivers to McCarthy for a trainer he won for last Friday in Chris Lakata. (1) PAPA DOC broke in his last two efforts over at Yonkers, but he was racing in higher classes than this one. Let's include in the hopes the bigger track and driver switch to Dexter Dunn keep his mind on business. (5) THE AMERICAN EAGLE was victorious the last time he competed in a NW5000L4 event at the Meadowlands on 2-9 and gets reunited with David Miller from a better post than he had in his most recent try. Race 4 - MADC Trot (10) ICANFLYLIKEANANGEL starts from the worst post but packs plenty of early speed that should enable him to get position and I also think he's facing softer company than he has in those recent NW3000L4 races. (5) LIONHEAD ships north from Freehold with two straight victories. He's been getting along well with driver Yogi Sheridan, and he's in the bike again tonight. (2) ALLINDOTIME rallied gamely from first-over to win the MADC Trot a week ago and has another inside draw. Race 5 - NW2 Ext. PM Races or 28000LT / NW Starters This Class Last Start Pace (5) SPEED SNIP won at the Meadowlands back in early February and was fifth in what looks like a tougher NW2 race than this on 2-24. He returns from Rosecroft tonight off another victory down at that five-eighths-mile oval in Maryland. (3) JD CAMDEN GB cut the fractions from post eight and just missed by a neck in his first U.S. try over at Pocono on February 26. Now that he's on a regular racing schedule, I think we could see some improvement. (2) I'M TALKIN HUNGRY has struggled to find the winner's circle through his career with just a one-for-31 record. He does have post relief this time and keeps McCarthy's services. Race 6 - MADC 1 Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool** (9) CAMLACHIE CHROME doesn't possess any super-obvious form, but I take the fact he did show some speed last week from post nine as a positive sign and also meets up with a more wide-open group here than he did in that contest. (2) KISSINBYTHEBEACHES and (1) THNDRFRMTHETHRON N were first and second, respectively, in a MADC 1 tilt last Friday. THNDRFRMTHETHRON N does have post relief tonight, moving in from the eight-hole to post one, but I'll keep him underneath KISSINBYTHEBEACHES. Race 7 - TrackMaster Series Final/Top Money Winners from F&M TM Rating 73.5 Series Pace (3) SHAKE IT TWICE battled her way to a hard-fought win in a scramble to the wire in her division a week ago. She gets some additional post relief tonight, keeps McCarthy and I can see her offering a square price. (1) BADDITUDE and (7) MISS MAYCEE give trainer Izzy Estrada a 1-2 punch in this event. BADDITUDE switches back to an inside post this week and picks up Dunn, but I expect MISS MAYCEE will be the favorite given her two-for-two record in this series. Race 8 - MADC 1 Pace (6) SUNSHINE'S FINEST took a shot against tougher MADC 2 company last week and was fourth-placed-tenth after bothering rivals past the start. When he was in the MADC 1 on 2-16, he was victorious, so I'll put him on top. (1) FERDINAND A pounced from the pocket for a long overdue victory in a MADC 1 tilt a week ago and gets to start from the pole position off that mile. (5) ROCK ON LINE starts from an ideal mid-pack post for his racing style and just needs some middle-half fractions to chase, something he hasn't gotten in recent outings. Race 9 - Play Meadowlands Series Leg 1/NW5000L4/TrackMaster Rating 80 or Less as of 3-5-24 Trot (2) LINDYS IRISHCREAM minded her p's and q's in her qualifier last Saturday with the addition of trotting hobbles. Hopefully that continues tonight in her return to pari-mutuel action as this is the softest class she's been in. (4) DYLAN THE GREAT is riding a three-race streak of on-the-board finishes and was Dunn's choice of three horses in this race. (5) HOOFBEATS DE VIE broke last time out at Yonkers but was performing well against NW5000L4 company at the Meadowlands prior to that, and I'll include in his return to the mile track. Race 10 - TrackMaster Series Final/Top Money Winners from TM Rating 74 Series Trot **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool** (3) I'LL OWE YOU ONE gained in the stretch last week but had too much work to do. I'll bank on him being closer at the top of the stretch in this final like he was in his victory on 2-23 and put him on top. (5) SOUTHWIND FROST won impressively over I'LL OWE YOU ONE and others a week ago and probably stamped himself as the one to beat tonight with Dunn at the controls again. (1) FASHION CANTAB worked out a smoother trip last Friday than he had in leg one and delivered a win. He starts from the pole here to aid his cause. Race 11 - TrackMaster Rating 71 or Less as of 3-5-24 Pace (7) PRIVATE SCOTT comes south from Western Fair in Ontario and into the Estrada barn, a usually-reliable angle in these classes. (2) JERRYTONE drops out of the TrackMaster 74 level this week and gets significant post relief to go with it. He did pace his final quarter in 27 and change last Saturday and gets another chance with McCarthy at the lines. (5) COIN FLIP toured the oval from the ten-hole in his debut for trainer Edwin Quevedo on February 23. I'll toss him in underneath as I could see improvement ahead. Race 12 - F&M NW5000L4/TrackMaster Rating 80.5 or Less as of 3-5-24 Pace (2) SIDE PIECE didn't threaten in this class on 2-23 but should be full of confidence after a facile victory against NW3000L4 company last Saturday. This mare was a terror in western Canada in 2023 with eight wins and two seconds in 10 starts. (7) ABSOLUTE POWER took a lot of wagering attention a week ago but had to settle for fourth. She has three runner-up results in her last five outings overall and was McCarthy's choice of two. (6) SAUBLE DELIGHTFUL has been racing in higher classes than this over at Yonkers recently and picks up David Miller in the bike. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 13 - Mares NW12500L4/TrackMaster Rating 86.8 or Less as of 3-5-24/NW7 Ext. PM Races LT Pace (5) ROCKN PHILLY makes her first start of the year tonight for trainer Noel Daley. I anticipate she'll be ready to fire and appears to have a class edge on the others in this race given she was facing NW30000L5 or Open Handicap company at Yonkers to close out 2023. (6) PATTYCAKE MOOSS is back at the Meadowlands here after a win in a NW9500L4 test at Pocono most recently. She was racing at the top mares pace level at the Meadowlands prior to that and has been pretty sharp. (3) KICKUPYAHEELS N also returns to the Meadowlands off a victory over at Pocono. She was second when last seen locally, but that was at the NW5000L4 level. Race 14 - 7500-10000CLM HCP Pace (7) DEALER'S TABLE seems like he's pretty much in a now-or-never spot tonight. He got mixed up in a pace duel over at Pocono most recently, so I can overlook that he tired, and trainer Jeff Cullipher has been very hot at the Meadowlands lately. (9) SPORTS HERO closed in 27 seconds flat to finish third in this class last Saturday but has the outside post to overcome. (6) SOUTHWIND DREDGE saw his two-race win streak end on 3-1 when he got in a bit of traffic in the stretch and then broke after angling inside. The fact he's right back in the entry box after that miscue is a positive.