EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – It’s not often that claim races are the main events at the No. 1 running venue in the world, but that will be the case this Saturday evening (January 24) at The Meadowlands, when a pair of ultra-competitive sprints will make up half of the Early 50-cent Pick-4.
The seventh race – the second leg of the Pick-4 – has a purse of $17,000 and is for pacers who want to win a prize of no less than $25,000 and no more than $30,000. The horses that register for a higher price move out in this handicap event.
There are three horses all looking for a second straight trip to the winner’s circle, starting with Mayhem Hanover, who trailed trainer Rico Robinson with this sort of score of 12-1 last Saturday (January 17). He starts from post 4 with driver Austin Siegelman and starts 5-1 on the morning line.
Caviart Camden (post 5, 3-1) turned a wide at three-quarters before closing like a shot into a softer spot last week as a 14-1 outsider. Colin Kelly, who won 10 races last weekend to end Brett Beckwith’s six-week reign as the circuit’s ‘Driver of the Week’, will mentor the Maria Alvarez student.
Betting on Caesar (post 10, 8-1) is another setback in the class, as Joe Bongiorno’s trainee crushed weaker at the front when last seen on December 27. Beckwith will be on the bike.
The eighth race will see $19,000 on the line in a $40,000-$60,000 claiming handicap pace, with all eyes on Boston Bound (post 10, 3-1). The Chris Height grad made a brutal trip en route to seventh as the 1-5 public pick a week ago, as the speedball never got near the front. Beckwith will be the pilot.
Sun Of A Show and Mamba are both looking for a second score in a row.
The Tee Wine-trained Sun Of A Show (post 6, 7-2), who will be piloted by Braxten Boyd, came out of the pocket to win at odds of 10-1 last week, while Mamba (post 7, 4-1), who is trained by Bongiorno, made a huge parked effort to score as the 4-5 public choice on December 13. The question is, can he overcome the dismissal? Kelly is on the list to drive.
CHECK BEFORE DEPARTURE: With the threat of bad weather early Sunday morning, it’s a good idea to visit The Meadowlands website: Speelweidelands.comand see if there can be live racing on the circuit on Sunday afternoon. It is possible that live racing may be canceled while the facility remains open for simulcasting and betting in the FanDuel Sportsbook.
THE SCHEDULE: During the month of January there will be live racing on Friday-Saturday-Sunday.
Post time on Friday and Saturday is 6:20 PM, while the race starts at 12:30 PM on Sunday
The final Sunday race card of 2026 will take place on February 1.
WHO’S DOING THE SHOW? This weekend marks the return of Meadow Twaddle to the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set.
Twaddle, who currently works with the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association and co-hosts the “Hot 2 Trot” podcast, will serve as co-host for all three race cards.
Meadow, the daughter of prominent trainer Tim Twaddle, is a 23-year-old with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and marketing from Washington and Jefferson College. Her passion is making horse racing more accessible and exciting by sharing authentic behind-the-scenes moments that highlight the people and heart of the sport, bringing fans closer to the action.
Dave Little will host the show on Friday and Sunday, while his wife, Debbie, the associate editor and columnist of Harness Racing Update, will be in that chair on Saturday.
Ken Warkentin will be in his usual spot calling all the races, while Joe Romanelli will handle the paddock interviews and FanDuel Television (FDTV) coverage on Friday and Saturday, while Gary DiLeo will handle those chores on Sunday.
SLIP ME FIVE: Big M TV veteran Dave Little started off like a house on fire on Saturday, picking the first five winners on the card.
Little’s winners of races one through five were Sono Confuso ($8.80 to win), Beat Cop ($8.40), Captain Bazinga ($3.40), American Mercury ($7.80) and Tonto Returns ($9.20), respectively.
By scoring the first five in a row, Little handed out the 20-cent Pick-5 cold. The payout for 20 cent gamblers was $134.92, while players who wagered $1 got back $674.60.
WORLD CUP SIMULCAST: Head to The Meadowlands’ expansive simulcast area on Saturday afternoon to watch and bet on the 10e performance of the $3 million Class 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park.
Disco Time is the 8-5 morning favorite in the field of 12. The 4-year-old son of Not This Time, a Brad Cox trainee who is undefeated in five lifetime starts, is ridden by Flavien Prat.
The mile-eighth World Cup, with a post time of 5:39 p.m., is 13the race in a 13-race program starting at 11am, so arrive early and claim your spot.
GET YOUR FREE PROGRAMS: To show appreciation to its loyal fan base, The Meadowlands offers free program pages for every race of every race card on its website.
Go to Speelweidelands.comand then click the ‘news’ dropdown to watch the past performances completely free.
A GREAT WAY TO PLAY: Every night The Meadowlands offers a great menu of popular bets with a 15 percent takeaway.
Here’s a look at when these bets will be offered on the 14-race programs taking place this Friday and Saturday:
- Races 1-5: 20 cents Pick-5
- Races 3-9: 20 cents Survivor Pick-7 (mandatory payout per night)
- Races 6-9: 50 Cent Early Pick-4 ($50,000 Guaranteed Pool)
- Races 8-13: 20 cents Pick-6
- Races 10-13: Late 50-cent Pick 4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
- Race 14: 10 cents Pentafecta (Hi-5) without jackpot
Here’s a look at when these bets will be offered on Sunday’s 13-race card:
- Races 1-5: 20 cents Pick-5
- Races 3-9: 20 cents Survivor Pick-7 (mandatory payout per night)
- Races 6-9: Early Pick-4 at 50 cents
- Races 8-13: 20 cents Pick-6
- Races 10-13: Late 50 cent pick 4
- Race 13: 10 cents Pentafecta (Hi-5) without jackpot
PICK-6 TRANSFER: No winning tickets were sold on the 20-cent Pick-6 night on Saturday (Jan. 17), leaving a carryover of $4,272 for the resumption of racing on Friday (Jan. 23).
The Pick-6 will be offered at races eight through thirteen.
A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT: Everything about Meadowlands is available via
Stay in touch with the Big M talent duo Little (@DaveLittleBigM) and Warkentin (@kenvoiceover).
SEE THE BIG GAME AT THE BIG M: The NFL championship game takes place on Sunday, February 8 and the place to see all the action is The Meadowlands for the best viewing party anywhere.
Gallery Viewing Party:
- Overlooks FanDuel Sportsbook; has giant screens and multiple TVs
- A huge number of screens from wall to wall
- Premium sofa and table seating
- Football swag and other giveaways
- Game insight by Marc Malusis of SportsNet New York and WFAN-660 AM
About the cards:
- All tickets include tax, gratuity and access to the game day buffet
- Seating begins at 5:30 p.m.; Kick-off is at 6:30 PM
Ticket options:
- Single seat: $45 (parties sit together, tables with groups of 2-10 are available)
- 3-person sofa: $300
- The Big Game buffet consists of: Wings (Buffalo, Sweet n’ Spicy, BBQ), hot dogs, burgers, chicken fingers, fries and dessert
- Special beer bucket and beer tower
To purchase tickets, go to here.
FOOTBALL IN FANDUEL: Meadowlands regulars eager to place a few bets on the National Football League know all they have to do is head to FanDuel Sportsbook, the #1 betting facility of its kind in North America.
It couldn’t be easier, because it’s located in the grandstand of The Meadowlands. There are huge TV screens and self-service betting terminals, allowing fans to watch and gamble in comfort while enjoying tasty food and drinks.
The National Football League’s AFC and NFC championship games take place on Sunday (Jan. 25).
In game one, the New England Patriots head to Denver for a 3 p.m. kickoff with the Bo Nix-less Broncos.
The Pats are a 4½-point favorite going into the game with an under/over of 42½ points.
In the second game of the day, the Los Angeles Rams will play the Seahawks in Seattle at 6:30 p.m.
The ‘Hawks are a 2½-point favorite going into the game with an under/over of 46½ points.
Whatever the sport, get the latest odds here.
The FanDuel Sportsbook is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturday 8am – 1am; and Sunday 8 a.m. – midnight.
Through Dave Kleinfor The Meadowlands
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