CHAMPIONSHIP MEET STATS: 303-100-50-37 / $553.30 (-$52.70) BEST BETS: 22-9-6-1 / $41.80 (-$2.20) SPOT PLAYS: 21-4-3-5 / $45.20 (+$3.20) BEST BET: RUTHLESS HANOVER (9th) SPOT PLAY: LT LOVERBOY (12th) Race 1: Meadowlands Amateur Drivers Club 1 Pace - Pick 5 (5) WHAMMER JAMMER does his best work when he can grind uncovered against a somewhat softer field and just wear them down. This looks like that type of spot. (10) MASTER MIKI should be able to fire off the gate for good position. His best certainly places him in the win picture. (7) ROCK ON LINE wasn’t bad after missing two months of action; exotics must; win maybe. (4) ARTIST BEST was a winner at first asking for the new barn but has missed three weeks since. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2: Non-winners 2 (NW L2 3) races life/TM 80.15 or less/Maidens draw inside (8) TWIN FURY has proven he is capable of putting up a 1:49 mile while the rest of these simply haven’t shown that speed. (2) ODDS ON BROWARD returns from a brief vacation. If he can sit and find space to race late, watch out for him. (4) WORLD OF WISHES was aimed high in the Messenger and couldn’t handle it. He got some confidence back at Goshen which should serve him well tonight. (1) TOM HORN is good at sticking close and getting a small piece of the exotics. [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at 1/ST BET PRO!] Race 3: Trackmaster 71 (NW L2 73) or less - Survivor 7 (3) RILKOFF has missed 33 days but does move into a high percentage barn and adds a Hall of Fame driver as well as Lasix. There are plenty of things to like and his Mohawk lines show this spot is a reasonable one. (1) BIONIC is capable of firing off the gate and going a long way. That could be the tactics from the inside draw. (8) STONE COLD SAVAGE can’t seem to buy a good post lately. He really wasn’t bad from post 10 last time. Race 4: Non-winners $12,500 in last 4 or 8 races life (6) OUTSIDE THE FIRE hasn’t been given much of a chance lately versus mostly better foes. If they put him in play the chances of victory aren’t half bad. (8) PAPPARDELLE fired out last time and chased home a horse that would be 1-5 in here; clear win player. (3) CELEBRITY BAMBINO looked good two starts back but wasn’t quite as sharp last time. I could take a positive view on his chances. Race 5: Tompkins-Geers 3YO Filly Trot (6) YO TILLIE is lengths better than any other filly in this field. She’ll be 1-9 and should win for fun. (7) EL NIGHTWISH was rolling along before visiting the half-mile track at Yonkers. Three weeks off is just a minor concern as she likely prepares for the Hambletonian Oaks with a solid mile here. (3) R CHARM stepped up in company and raced well last time. She’s a contender here for the bottom of the exacta. Race 6: Tompkins-Geers 3YO C&G Trot - $50K GTD Pick 4 (4) ONAJETPLANE was used a ways to make the top in the Zweig and ended up paying the price. I doubt they are going to the well tonight with the Hambletonian elims next weekend but I do think they’ll want to see a nice effort before putting up the entry fee. (2) CHAT ROOM is in a similar boat to the top pick as a borderline Hambletonian contender who has turned in some good effort but was also somewhat flat last time. (6) WARRIOR is a new shooter in from Pennsylvania with back to back wins versus much softer. Will he step up on the big track? Race 7: Winners 2-4 (NW L2 or 3YO 5) races or $50,000 (NW L2 $61,000) life (1) JABBAR came home ok from the back with Lasix added last time. The medication has had more time to work and perhaps that will result in an even better effort tonight. (8) SUGAR MAN has missed four weeks of action but did race well off the bench to start the year. On paper, other than the missed time, he’s the horse to beat. (2) PINEAPPLE CRUNCH has picked up some confidence out of town. His best makes him a player in here. (7) CAPTAIN BAZINGA returned from four months away with a good mile. Will he be put in play or be at the mercy of the pace? Race 8: Trackmaster 80.5 (NW L2 82.63 / NW 1 in 2025 83.66) or less - Pick 6 (3) LOUIS LITT N has been knocking at the door in this class and perhaps this is the week he comes in. His last win came when McCarthy was in the bike. (5) HE’S HALF NAKED blew away a field when last here and I can’t hold the scratched-transportation line against him. (4) HAGGARD finished well after chasing most of the mile last weekend. Maybe he gets more involved this time around. Race 9: Non-winners $12,500 in last 4 or 9 (NW L2 10) races life/TM 88.5 or less (8) RUTHLESS HANOVER was taken off the gate after a string of dull efforts to start his year and finished up with good late life. That could be a sign that he’s back and quite frankly he doesn’t need his best mile to win against a field he lays over on paper. (1) ADMIRAL HILL came back from a couple of months on the sidelines with a good second-place finish. He was a killer last year. (7) JK BLACK GOLD is certainly sharp now and he can go a big mile at times. (10) REMEMBER THE ALAMO is clearly the sharpest horse in the field and he was tremendous last week. How does he get into the race here with a number of early speed types to his inside? Race 10: Tompkins-Geers 3YO Filly Trot - $50K GTD Pick 4 (5) BEST FRIENDS GIRL found the group in the Del Miller too tough but should be a fit with this group. I’d still need 3-1 or higher to take a stab. (8) MISS BELMAR is far and away the best filly in this field in my opinion and we might get a decent price on her. The problem is that she might not be put in play from the outside post and that would be she has to pass the entire field, which isn’t impossible. (1) GRAND RESERVE is a decent horse that really hasn’t taken the next step. Will that come tonight? Race 11: Trackmaster 77.5 (NW L2 79.5) or less/TM 79.99 who are NW 3 races in 2025 (1) CERTIFIABLE hasn’t been good since October 2023 and really hasn’t raced much since then either. So what do I see? He’s getting clear class relief coming out of consecutive sub 1:50 miles and last time he dropped two seconds with a much faster 27 1/5 final quarter. Seven-year-old could be coming back to life. (6) MIDNIGHT NATION drops to the level of his last win. He was used early last time and tried to race from behind into a slow pace prior to that mile. (8) STORM THE COURT could be firing out here. Race 12: Tompkins-Geers 3YO C&G Trot (6) LT LOVERBOY has been super in Ohio and now tries his luck on the big track. Long Tom-sired 3-year-old doesn’t exactly catch the toughest group and can show what the Buckeye crew are made of tonight. (5) GO AHEAD MAKEMYDAY rallied for second last time against a horse that has some Hambletonian credentials. (1) TRAVOLTA HANOVER is supposed to step up in a field like this one but the barn has been ice cold with a 17-0-0-2 record the last two weekends. If you see other horses from the stable awaken, he might be worth a try. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 13: Trackmaster 74.5 (NW L2 76.5) or less (1) SAULSBROOK RAPTOR drops to the level of his last win and should be forwardly placed here. (2) JOJO’S PLACE has picked up his game since the barn change while unable to get over the top for a win. (3) BLUEBRIRD TIME took a nice shot last time and couldn’t sustain his move. He seems to be sitting on a win if the trip improves. (7) SPIRIT OF TRUTH blew away softer two weeks back. A similar mile puts him in the picture. Race 14: Trackmaster 68 (NW L2 70) or less (3) BETTER THAN SOME couldn’t do much from post 10 on the barn change last time. Admittedly he doesn’t look great on paper, but this field in general is full of dull horses. I’ll take the price and hope for the best. (1) CAPTAIN CARTER drops to the level of his last win, a 70-1 upset. Can he work more magic? (7) MOONWARDS HANOVER is the sharpest horse in the field but one who hasn’t been reliable on the win end in quite some time.