2024 STATS: 44 - 192 / $287.30 (-$96.70) BEST BETS: 8 - 14 / $35.40 (+$7.40) SPOT PLAYS: 2 - 14 / $10.60 (-$17.40) BEST BET - OAKWOOD HEYMIKI IR (9th) SPOT PLAY - TAIPO N (6th) On behalf of Derick Giwner, who usually does the analysis for the Meadowlands, and myself, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year as this is the final card at The Big M for 2024. Thanks for following along and see you in 2025! Race 1 - NW2 Ext. PM Races LT / 3YOs NW4881L5 / Maidens Draw Inside Pace ***Pick 5*** (2) SWIMWITHTHECURRENT makes his second start back after a bit of a layoff here and faced tougher company in his comeback on 12-7. He was third at this level as the favorite on October 19. (6) CAPTAIN BAZINGA broke in the one race that was held last Saturday, but I'll chalk that up to the track condition. He won handily over NW2's on the 19th of October and was third two back after a multiple-move effort. (5) NOTORIOUS HANOVER has a similiar profile to his stablemate SWIMWITHTHECURRENT as he's a second-timer off the bench. I thought he did have some pace in the stretch in the same race CAPTAIN BAZINGA broke in a week ago. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2 - NW5000L4/NW1500 Per Start in 2024 Pace (5) MAC'S MARVEL finished a good second in a NW7500L4 tilt on 11-30 and has back-to-back trip excuses. He starts from an improved post this time as well. Yes, (3) DA DELIGHTFUL can absolutely win as he drops off two thirds against NW7500L4's and gets a catch driver, but this horse doesn't always respond to that change - for example on April 6 at the Meadowlands where he was defeated at 3-5. I'll swing against. (2) DECISION DAY should have picked up a bunch of confidence after he clobbered NW2000L4 company on December 13 and gets significant post relief off that performance. [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!] Race 3 - 15000-20000CLM HCP Pace (9) DANCING LEW drew poorly again but has raced well in both of his outings in this class in December and hopefully will get them to mix it up or be able to flash speed like he did on the 7th. (8) LUKE MCGOOK put in another good effort to just miss by a neck on 12-14 and should have every chance to be in the mix again tonight. (4) I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN gained spots and ground in the final quarter of his race two weeks ago and makes his second start back after a layoff tonight. Race 4 - NW7500L4/NW1750 Per Start in 2024/TrackMaster Rating 83.5 or Less as of 12-23-24 Pace (6) THEBEAUDENBLUES N made a big move to take the lead on the last turn on 12-14 before he tired in the lane. He drops tonight and I'll bank that he can time that brush to deliver this time around. (5) SURFSIDE BEACH has been facing tougher $50,000 claimers over at Yonkers and shows a second in the NW15000L5 class across the river as well. (2) IGNATIUS A led most of the way and defeated NW5000L4 foes on December 14. He moves in a couple of slots on the gate and I think he'll be able to handle the hike up the ladder. Race 5 - F&M NW7500L4/TrackMaster Rating 83.5 or Less as of 12-23-24/NW1750 Per Start in 2024/TrackMaster Rating 86 or Less may enter and draw outside Pace (7) AINTHESAMEWITHOUTU shows three lines in the Invitational at Yonkers and Open at Dover in her last five tries and finds a much more reasonable spot in this event. (9) HIGH FASHION STAR was in against tougher rivals in her most recent try and faces a group tonight that more resembles the one she defeated two back. (1) INTOTHEMYSTICMOON grabbed a runner-up finish in a NW7500L4 test on the 29th of November and got a check in the top class at the Meadowlands as recently as 11-2. Race 6 - NW12500L4/TrackMaster Rating 87 or Less as of 12-23-24/NW8 Ext. PM Races or 70000LT Pace ***$50,000 Pick 4 Guaranteed Pool*** (4) TAIPO N raced in several Group 1 events in 2023 and 2024 in Australia and hasn't really gotten a chance to fully show what he can do in the U.S. as of yet as he had bad posts at both Saratoga and Yonkers. He drew well here and catches a pretty wide-open group. I'll swing. (3) OUTLAW MAN N broke last time out at Yonkers, but that was over a sloppy track, so perhaps that explains it. He finished a solid third against NW20000L5 company at Yonkers on 12-9. (6) SLING SHOCK won a couple of times at the Meadowlands earlier this year and has trip excuses in his last two tries at Yonkers as he got parked on the 25th of November and moved three-wide early off cover on December 16. Race 7 - 3-5YO 25000-30000CLM HCP Pace (10) MUSIC HALL defeated open claimers twice at the Meadowlands in November and faces age-restricted foes tonight. He raced well at Yonkers most recently and I expect he'll be put in play despite the bad spot. (8) HUNT FOR CASH has been first or second in four of his last five tries and is another horse who has been facing open claiming rivals and now meets up with just 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. He also debuts for new connections off a claim. (3) METAMAN closed well in a runner-up result at Yonkers on December 19 and was facing tougher company at the Meadowlands prior to that. Race 8 - NW12500L4/NW16771L6 Trot ***Pick 6*** (7) IWON'T BACKDOWN AS is a horse I've been chasing with no success at Yonkers, but I'll give him one more try tonight as he gets to stretch out on the big track and has made several appearances in the top class at a number of tracks. (3) OUTSIDE THE FIRE remains in sharp form and gets to move inside a couple of slots on the gate again here. (4) MON AMOUR also continues to churn out solid performances and has been behind MON AMOUR on both 12-7 and 11-29. Race 9 - NW12500L4/TrackMaster Rating 87 or Less as of 12-23-24/NW8 Ext. PM Races or 70000LT Pace (7) OAKWOOD HEYMIKI IR moves up in class tonight but has certainly looked the part in all of his U.S. outings and slides in from the ten-hole to post seven. (6) PRIMARY COLORS drops out of the Preferred but doesn't exactly find a soft spot here given the presence of my top pick. He's definitely usable but I'll slot underneath. (8) FOR ONCE INMY LIFE tallied two weeks ago but was second to OAKWOOD HEYMIKI IR when they met on both November 30 and December 7. Race 10 - Preferred Pace ***$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool*** (1) LYONS STEEL will probably get overlooked in this race, but he starts from post one and sometimes comes through in spots like this when he can just follow along and then sprint in the lane (see November 9). (8) SPRING INHIS STEP A won in the Preferred a couple of weeks ago. He does move out from the pole position to the eight-hole, but I anticipate he'll be handled aggressively. (5) MAXIMUS MIKI hasn't finished outside the trifecta in 22 outings this year and scored in the Preferred on the 23rd of November. Race 11 - Winners of 2 but not more than 4 Ext. PM Races or 50000LT Pace (9) VANDIEMEN BLUECHIP has raced well behind Oakwood Heymiki and For Once Inmy Life in his last two tries. He could be on the front-end in this contest and is worth a shot. (4) RHYDS SUPERFLY GB owns a similar profile to my top selection as he was third to Oakwood Heymiki and For Once Inmy Life in his pair of appearances in the U.S. thus far. (1) BUILD THE WALL enters off a sick scratch but won three straight at Harrah's Philadelphia prior to that and also tallied at the Meadowlands once in September and again in October. Race 12 - TrackMaster Rating 83 or Less as of 12-23-24 Pace (6) SWIFTY RUN also gets away from Oakwood Heymiki and For Once Inmy Life after finishing fifth in back-to-back efforts since coming in from Plainridge and he'll get top call based on those factors. (3) FULSOME was victorious in his most recent appearance at Freehold and also posted a third and a fourth against NW7500L5's prior to that. (5) ROCKIN THE ACES has been closing out his miles well as of late and was Mark Herschberger's choice over two others. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 13 - TrackMaster Rating 80.5 or Less as of 12-23-24 Pace (5) JK WILL POWER didn't really fire on 12-14 but has won at the Meadowlands before and makes his second start for a stable that can have one ready to fire. (6) CAVIART CAMDEN moves in on the gate this time after he had the nine-hole in his last outing on Decembr 14 and found the winner's circle at The Big M prior to that. (1) DANCE IT OUT was fourth in this class a couple of weeks ago and slides in from post eight to the pole position. Race 14 - TrackMaster Rating 77.5 or Less as of 12-23-24 Pace (5) BRIAR'S DESIRE prevailed a couple of times at Plainridge in late November and starts from a better post here than he had in his sixth-place finish on 12-14. (10) JD CAMDEN GB has finished in the top three in four of his last five tries and is now with Ron Burke. (9) HYPEBEAST just missed at this level on November 2 and has a couple of other runner-up results since then.