FINAL MEET STATS: 289-73-41-41 / $380.00 (-$198.00) BEST BETS: 22-12-1-1 / $40.20 (-3.80) BEST BET: AMERICAN HISTORY (1st) SPOT PLAY: EMMA TOWN BUD (9th) Race 1: Non-winners $10,500 (NW L3 $12,500) in last 5/TM 89 or less - Pick 5 (4) AMERICAN HISTORY has clearly gotten off to a slow start and some may view the effort last week negatively but I see a huge step forward. Breeders Crown winner drops in class and is going to dominate this group. (2) DE LOS CIELOS DEO had no shot in his comeback race. This guy is always tricky to read. At his best, maybe he has a shot to beat #4. (1) GOOD ROCKIN isn't in the class with the top two but has enough early speed and form to stay close and get into the number. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2: Non-winners $4,500 (NW L3 $5,100) in last 5 (1) REGAL SON has been unlucky at the draw with a string of outside posts. Brennan finally gets to see the inside of the gate and I expect he'll put this guy in play. (3) MCMIKE comes off a very nice effort where he lost to a very sharp foe. He's clearly going to be the favorite and very hard to leave off your Pick 5 tickets. (5) STONEDUST drops in class for a barn that tends to do well in that scenario, but this guy has been stingy when it comes to winning lately. [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!] Race 3: Winners 0-2 races life – 3YO C&G - Survivor 7 (5) SOUTHBEACH HANOVER hails from the Mark Steacy barn and just about everything he's sent down here from Canada has looked good. I've seen enough in the morning to roll the dice at a price. (3) I’LL DRINK TO THAT and (4) SOUTH BEACH STAR both used the wind conditions to their advantage last week and set a soft three quarters before sprinting home. Each looks formidable here. Race 4: Non-winners $10,500 (NW L3 $12,550) in last 5 or 7 races life/TM 85.53 or less (8) BEYOND WORDS N was absolutely spectacular in her qualifier and could've won that race if that was the goal. That's the good news. The bad is that she is likely to get a conservative steer and was scratched sick two weeks ago. I'm going to pick her on top but demand at least 3-1 before considering a play. (6) ROSE RUN VANTAGE is one of many class-droppers in the field. She has a recent first and second in this condition. (9) HELLO LOVE was spectacular here last weekend and might just be this good. (5) STELLENBOSCH has the early speed to get a call and hang around for a nice piece. Race 5: Winners over $10,500 in last 5 (2) FILIBUSTER HANOVER hit another gear in deep stretch to power away in his latest qualifier. Ron Burke charge is the class of the race and might offer some value versus the dynamic (1) NICHOLAS BEACH. The latter has looked like a top older horses so far in three starts this year. He's certainly the one to beat at what could be odds-on. (4) POINTS NORTH would need a special mile to defeat the top pair but should be a serious exotics player. Race 6: Preferred Handicap - $50K GTD Pick 4 This may be the last chance for (4) JL CRUZE to win a Preferred until the winter since the big guns are coming back. He does his best work near the front and was taken back last time, so that's a throw-out line. I'm betting on early speed here and hoping he's good enough. (8) LINDY THE GREAT was sharp in his 2021 debut and certainly looks tough on paper, but he was just 1-for-16 last year and will be the favorite tonight. (3) NORTHERN EXPRESS gets a driver change to David Miller and deserves some consideration on that change alone. (6) CRYSTAL FASHION didn't seem that sharp in his qualifiers, though this barn tends to have them ready (won with two first-timers in 2021 Wednesday at Philly); mixed feelings. Race 7: Winners 3-8 (NW L3 9) races life (4) SERIOUSLY HANOVER charged home in 25 2/5 on a track that was clearly favoring early speed. Four-year-old should be ready for much more in his second start of the year. (1) DRAGON ROARS AGAIN has been racing well each week but seems to have a bit of seconditis. (8) ISLAND OF THE SEA came home equally as fast as the top pick last week and was visually moving faster nearing the wire, but a lack of early speed and outside post is concerning. (7) DELIGHTFUL TERROR is another making his second start of the year who could improve. Race 8: Graduate Series 1st Division - Pick 6 (1) SPLASH BROTHER raced well in his first start of the year and really had no shot last week on a track where eight horses went wire to wire. We’ll get plenty of value here on a horse that can go a 1:48 mile and should be ready to peak in his third start back. (5) CAPTAIN BARBOSSA was super in a race where he couldn’t lose last Saturday. I’d like to pick him on top but the driver change to Dunn will be a shorter than deserving price. (3) POSEIDON SEELSTER is certainly sharp and will get tested here. Race 9: Winners over $10,500 in last 5 (5) EMMA TOWN BUD takes a giant step up in class but appears to have the chops to handle it and should offer good value. (3) LOVEDBYTHEMASSES caught a tough field last time and couldn't hack it. He's back in the right spot tonight. (8) NEXT LEVEL STUFF was even better in that last qualifier than it looks because she faced traffic and had plenty of trot. I'm just not sure she is ready for a 1:51 and change mile. (10) CHIN CHIN HALL is more than capable of winning if Miller can find a way into the race from post 10. Race 10: Graduate Series 2nd Division - $50K GTD Pick 4 (6) RUTHLESS HANOVER was a powerful winner in his most recent qualifier and looks ready to roll. (1) WARRAWEE VITAL is the fastest horse in the race on paper and he did close well behind the top pick in his lone qualifier. (8) SANDBETWEENMYTOES got a nice tightener last week versus older foes. Can the Breeders Crown winner from 2020 get into the race from post 8? [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!] Race 11: Non-winners $7,500 (NW L3 $8,500) in last 5 (9) LYONS KING raced very well in his first start for the new barn and that stable in general seemed to awaken last weekend. I'll give him a shot in an evenly-matched field. (2) PADUKA N chased a speed freak last Saturday and paid the price. He drops in class here into a much softer field. (1) COVERED BRIDGE continues to race well each week in some ways but can't seal the deal. (6) SEEYOU AT THEBEACH lands in the best spot he has seen since finishing second in his first start of the year. Race 12: Preferred (3) STARS ALIGN A went freak city with a monster mile last week and I don't see any reason he can't do it again. The price should be right against this much better field. (5) SINTRA won the Preferred last week despite missing four weeks of action; very dangerous and the one to beat. (4) ANA AFREET N finally met his match last Saturday in #5. Can he find more to beat him and my top pick? Race 13: $15,000/$20,000 Claiming Handicap This looks like the toughest race on the card. (5) BANK SEA drops in claiming price to get a better position on the gate and lands a good one and David Miller is back in the bike. (3) LET’S FOAL AROUND raced well in his second start for this barn and he has the speed to get around the two to his inside early. (10) OCEAN COLONY would be the horse to beat from a better post. (6) ROCKNROLL CHARM drops in for a claiming price and often enough horses awaken on the condition change.