Meadowlands returns on Friday night

 

One night after Dover Downs hosted a quartet of lucrative Matron Stakes, harness racing will return to The Meadowlands in New Jersey and the famed one -mile oval will have a Breeders Crown feel.

Friday nights opening card will feature a pair of TVG Opens for mares - one each for Pacers and trotters - and an elimination for the Goldsmith Maid for  two-year-old filly trotters. Another overnight event for trotters also looks appealing.

The second race is the $25,000 TVG Open Mares for trotters and the race features a trio of genuine stars. Either one of them could win this week and next weeks final.

Classic Martine (Tim Tetrick), Handover Belle (Yannick Gingras), Shake It Cerry (David Miller), Harley Momma (Scott Zeron) all exit the Breeders Crown Mares while Bee A Magician (Brian Sears) has spent most of the year facing male rivals.

Bee A Magician has won 10 of 16 starts this year and 41 of 63 career outings and the former horse of the year has already cinched divisional honors. But the durable, talented mare is not a cinch this weekend although she will likely find fellow female foes far more appealing this week and next.

One race later is an overnight event for trotters and one horse making his long awaited seasonal debut. Whataworkout (Zeron) has won two qualifiers in stellar fashion at Hoosier and will be difficult to beat if he stays flat.

Then two races later in the Goldsmith Maid elim, all eyes will be on recent Breeders Crown winner All The Time (Gingras), who has won 6 of 10 starts for Takter. But Womans Will (Andy Miller) delivered a dominant performance at Dover last week and looms a serious threat despite post mine.

Then two races later in the $25,000 TVG Open Mares for pacers, Venus Delight (Jason Bartlett) will seek redemption after settling third as the favorite in the Breeders Crown. But Katie Said (John Campbell) and Sandbeyweenurtoes have faced tough customers all season, while Calliebythebeach has won three straight at Harrah's Philadelphia and is obviously peaking right now.