Meadowlands: Final major stakes card of 2026 on tap Saturday

The Meadowlands – as well as the entire sport of harness racing – has one big night left in its 2026 stakes arsenal, and the final eight shots will be fired Saturday (Nov. 14) night at the mile oval, when $2.27 million in purses will be up for grabs on Fall Final Four/FanDuel Championships Night.

The program on Saturday, as well as Friday (Nov. 13), will get underway at 6:20 p.m.

“Once again, we are happy to host a night of racing where divisional honors could be won and lost on the last huge night on the harness racing calendar,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “There are many great storylines on Saturday’s program, but two stand out to me.

“Twin B Joe Fresh, the 2024 Horse of the Year, will be making the final start of her phenomenal career in the FanDuel Open Mares Pace. In addition, On To Norway and Super Chapter will matchup for the fifth time this year, in the FanDuel Open Trot, and despite On To Norway leading the series three to one, Super Chapter could get back in the Trotter of the Year conversation with a win Saturday.

“We’re looking forward to a big crowd and a big night of betting, featuring three 50-cent Pick-4 wagers, one of which will be made up of the four FanDuel events, and another comprising the four Fall Final Four races. It’s going to be a great night.”

The eight stakes races that will take place that evening – highlighting some of the major players – are:

· Race 4 (post time, 7:35 p.m.): $150,000 FanDuel Open Mares Trot – Marcus Melander-trainee Tactical Moni started the year 0-for-5, but got sharp at just the right time, recording back-to-back wins in the Oct. 16 Breeders Crown Prep before scoring in the Oct. 24 final as the even-money favorite. Warrawee Michelle, an Ake Svanstedt student who is the defending Dan Patch Older Trotting Mare of the Year, finished second in the Crown final.

· Race 5 (post time, 8 p.m.): $300,000 FanDuel Open Trot – Were Breeders Crown champion On To Norway to defeat arch-rival Super Chapter, Trotter of the Year is his, and he will get Horse of the Year consideration as well. But if Super Chapter beats On To Norway, that second victory in five tries against that foe might be enough to take the TOTY hardware, given his resume that includes victories in the International Trot, Maple Leaf and Cashman.

· Race 6 (post time, 8:25 p.m.): $150,000 FanDuel Open Mares Pace – The incomparable Twin B Joe Fresh will look to finish her career with a five-race win streak. The Chris Ryder trainee won the Breeders Crown and Dayton Derby during her recent run of success.

· Race 7 (post time, 8:50 p.m.): $300,000 FanDuel Open Pace – Women Layer looks like the one to beat off a 1:48 score in the Potomac after finishing a close-up third in the Breeders Crown. Defending divisional champ Ervin Hanover recorded a spectacular 1:46 3/5 score at The Meadowlands earlier this year in the Dave Brower Memorial.

(All FanDuel events are for 3-year-olds and up)

· Race 8 (post time, 9:20 p.m.): $383,830 Valley Victory (2YOCGT) – In what looks like a wide-open event, Kindergarten winner Bentley Blue Chip takes on Command Center, who won the Bluegrass in a lifetime-best 1:54.

· Race 9 (post time, 9:45 p.m.): $386,830 Goldsmith Maid (2YOFT) – Birr Castle, the Breeders Crown winner from Melander, faces Svanstedt’s Kountry Plunge, the New York standout who has seven wins in as many starts.

· Race 10 (post time, 10:10 p.m.): $300,000 Three Diamonds (2YOFP) – Miss Dolce had to overcome a tough trip before a late rally had her come up a nose short in the New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund final for trainer Joe Holloway. Ohio Sire Stakes standout Cleveland Darby will look to add to her field-biggest bankroll of $430,465 for Run Burke.

· Race 11 (post time, 10:35 p.m.): $300,000 Governor’s Cup (2YOCGP) – The last stakes event of the night is another where it looks like a handful of horses could prance down victory lane. The Brett Pelling-trained Hades scored in eye-popping fashion last week at The Big M in just his sixth lifetime outing in 1:51 2/5. Burke’s Eastie Boy won the Matron in 1:50 1/5 while Joe Bongiorno’s Seine missed a neck in last to Starstruck Dreamer, who isn’t in this dash, but would likely be the favorite at post time were he.

THE FALL FINAL FOUR IS FOXY: The TV teams at The Meadowlands and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will continue their partnership with one last 2026 broadcast that will bring high-end Big M stakes action into people’s living rooms from coast-to-coast.

Fall Final Four/FanDuel Championships Night will be televised as part of the NYRA’s “America’s Day at the Races” series. Those eight dashes can be seen on Fox Sports 2 (FS2) from 9-11 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 14).

SWIM IN BIG POOLS: The Meadowlands offers the largest betting pools in harness racing, and the mile oval’s fan base loves playing when the takeout is low. These are the wagers that will offer a low 15 percent takeout over the course of the upcoming weekend. Both cards have 14 races.

This is the lineup for Friday’s races:

· Races 1-5: 20-cent Pick-5

· Races 3-9: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 (mandatory payout)

· Races 6-9: 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 estimated pool)

· Races 8-13: 20-cent Pick-6

· Races 10-13: 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 estimated pool)

· Race 11: 10-cent Hi-5 (Pentafecta)

This is the lineup for Saturday’s races:

· Races 1-5: 20-cent Pick-5

· Races 4-7: All-Stakes 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 estimated pool)

· Races 5-11: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 (mandatory payout)

· Races 6-11: 20-cent Pick-6

· Races 8-11: All-Stakes 50-cent Pick-4 ($75,000 estimated pool)

· Races 10-13: 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 estimated pool)

· Race 11: 10-cent Hi-5 (Pentafecta) ($25,000 estimated pool)

Last chance to get Handicapping: This Saturday, November 14, is the eleventh and final $1,000 Handicapping Qualifier at the Meadowlands Racetrack. The $1,000 prize pool will be split among the top four finishers. 

The contest format: 
• Contestants must bet a minimum of 5 Meadowlands races.
• No minimum and no maximum bet per race.
• Open to any wager on the Meadowlands live wagering menu. This includes W/P/S, Exacta, Trifecta, Pick 3/4/5/6, Daily Double, Superfecta, and Pick X wagers.
• Contestants keep all pari-mutuel winnings
• Unlimited entries are allowed per person.

There is no entry fee (a $100 live money bankroll is required) for players, and the prize pool is guaranteed at $1,000.
The top two finishers in the contest qualify for the invite-only $10,000 tournament in December.

Qualifier Players for the December Final:
January: Del Kern, Stefan Ferrara 
February: Robert Glaser, Emile Issa 
March: Sean Loebs, Patrick O’Malley
April: Patrick O’Malley, Stefan Ferrara
May: John Skladany, James Molina 
June: Rodney Duncan, John Skladany 
July: James Sidor, Russ Slader 
August: Stefan Ferrara, John Skladany
September: Robert Glazer, Joe Barre 

Complete contest rules/regulations can be found at here. 

-edited release (Dave Little for Meadowlands)