Live racing at the Meadowlands Racetrack will resume on Friday, April 29. Seven pacing mares will be featured in the $25,000 Open Handicap, which has been carded as Race 8.
Last week’s winner, Katie Said (who will start from Post 7), and bridesmaid, Divine Caroline (Post 6), will be back for a rematch. Both mares came from off the pace last week. Katie Said peeled off the cover of, then sprinting by, Divine Caroline in a :26.2 closing panel in the 1:50.4 mile. Last week’s performance was the first of Katie Said’s 2016 campaign. Always fast but a touch erratic at times, Katie Said has matured nicely from age four to five. She races out of the Jimmy Takter barn and Brett Miller has the drive for owner Black Horse Racing on Friday.
Divine Caroline took the uncovered route in a game effort for David Miller and wore down the good Table Talk before ‘Katie’ went by. The four-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven mare will make her third start of the season for trainer Joe Holloway and owners Val D’Or Farms, Ted Gewertz, Rojan Stable and Michael Ouriel.
Table Talk will make her third start back off a layoff. She took a lot of play last week as the post-time favourite. Request For Parole and Lovineveryminute will return as well. Empress Deo and Inittowinafortune will be the ‘new shooters’ in the class.
In the wagering department, the last-race Jackpot Super High 5 carry-over is $194,741 to start the weekend.
Patrons can enter to win a trip to the Preakness Stakes on Friday evening. Also, the Meadowlands Summer Survival challenge is still open to entry. Saturday night is the final of the World harness Handicapping Challenge with the prize pool estimated at $50,000. For more information, click here.
First-race post time for the Meadowlands’ Friday card is 7:15 p.m.
(With files from the Meadowlands)