Meadowlands: Saturday stakes card to be nationally televised

The final big night of stakes action on harness racing’s 2025 calendar – Fall Final Four/FanDuel Championships Night – takes place Saturday (Nov. 15) night at the sport’s No. 1 venue, The Meadowlands. In addition, the TV team at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will combine forces with FOX Sports to bring those races to a national television audience on FOX Sports 2 (FS2), with a three-hour presentation that gets underway at 8 p.m.

“Everything is in alignment for another huge night of stakes racing at The Big M,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “The Fall Final Four and FanDuel Championships will showcase some of the biggest names in the sport while putting on display some of the best rivalries the game offers. The cherry on top is that all of this action will be shown live coast-to-coast on FOX, who have proven to be a tremendous partner as we continue to grow our audience.”

“Saturday night’s terrific card of racing at The Meadowlands concludes FOX Sports’ coverage of harness racing for the season,” said Sr. Director of TV Broadcast Operations for NYRA Eric Donovan. “With so many Breeders Crown champions returning for a final start in 2025, we couldn’t think of a better way to cap the year. We thank all of our Standardbred partners and look forward to more great racing in 2026 at The Meadowlands and beyond.”

Saturday’s presentation will be anchored at NYRA’s studio at Aqueduct Racetrack by Chris Griffin and Paul Verderosa with the tandem of Jessica Otten and Gabe Prewitt on-site providing commentary, selections and interviews.

Here is a rundown of the eight races, which have purses totaling $2.6 million:

• Race 3 – $175,000 FanDuel Open Mare Trot: Breeders Crown winner Warrawee Michelle, Hambletonian Maturity champion Elista Hanover and Dayton Derby winner M-M’s Dream – arguably the best three horses in the division – will go at it in an abbreviated five-horse field.

• Race 5 – $175,000 FanDuel Open Mare Pace: With Twin B Joe Fresh sidelined, another standout from the Chris Ryder barn, Miki And Minnie, will go for her 13th win in 15 tries this year as a 3-year-old taking on older foes. She will face Breeders Crown winner Always B Naughty.

• Race 6 – $462,000 Goldsmith Maid for 2-year-old filly trotters: Despite finishing third in the Breeders Crown as the 6-5 favorite, Nezuko Kamado S remains the one to beat for trainer Marcus Melander.

• Race 7 – $350,000 FanDuel Open Pace: Fresh off his electric 1:46.2 win in the Breeders Crown, the fastest mile in the sport during 2025, Ervin Hanover will look to push his seasonal earnings past the $1-million mark with a victory. After the race, Abuckabett Hanover, last year’s top-rated older pacer, will be retired in a winner’s circle ceremony.

• Race 8 – $357,000 Three Diamonds for 2-year-old filly pacers: Superstar Loua Dipa, who will cruise to divisional honors regardless of how things go Saturday, is likely to chalk up another stakes win for trainer Ron Burke, who has the inside track on receiving the Dan Patch Trainer of the Year Award.

• Race 9 – $334,000 Governor’s Cup for 2-year colt and gelding pacers: New York Sire Stakes champion Fragment brings his gaudy $582,566 bankroll to The Meadowlands hoping to prove he can compete at the game’s highest level after finishing sixth in the Metro and seventh in the Breeders Crown.

• Race 10 – $350,000 FanDuel Open Trot: Does this race offer the most interesting matchup of the night? Probably. Can Periculum, the early-season sensation from Melander, take down Lexus Kody, the Dayton Derby and International Trot winner from Burke, and nose that one out for divisional honors. He would have to for any chance.

• Race 11 – $421,000 Valley Victory for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters: Spencer Hanover pulled off a mild upset in the Breeders Crown, and looks for another big win for Melander. Diabolic Hill was a close second in the Crown for trainer Annie Stoebe.

-edited release (Meadowlands)