Meadowlands Harness Racing Weekend Preview: Pace Eliminations Lead a Stacked Fourth of July Card
Meadowlands harness racing fans have plenty to circle on the calendar this weekend, with three nights of live action at the Big M building to a Saturday card that ranks among the richest of the year. The Meadowlands kicks off Thursday, July 2 with a regular card before Friday's prep races set the stage for Saturday, July 4, when the Meadowlands Pace elimination headlines an 11-race program worth $2.5 million in stakes. Fireworks follow the last race to mark America's 250th birthday, and FS1 picks up the broadcast at 8pm. Here's our full breakdown of every stakes feature on the Meadowlands harness racing card this weekend, along with the horses and drivers we like heading into Saturday.
Thursday and Friday Build Toward the Big Night
Live racing runs Thursday, July 2 and Friday, July 3 with a 6:35pm post before Saturday's special early post of 6pm. Friday night doubled as a final look for six Meadowlands Pace-eligible colts, with three of them ranked in the weekly Road to the Meadowlands Pace Top 10. Always B Charlie went off at 6-1 on the morning line from post three for driver Scott Zeron, coming off a 1:51.2 win at Pocono Downs in his last pari-mutuel start. Gentleman's Club, a 7-2 chance from post five with Dexter Dunn in the bike, was working back into form after getting revved up too early behind Beau Jangles in his North America Cup elimination. Both horses carry that form straight into Saturday's Meadowlands Pace elimination.
The Meadowlands Pace Elimination Headlines Saturday
Thirteen three-year-old pacers were entered for the 50th edition of the Meadowlands Pace, with byes offered to the highest career earners. Al Papi, Melillo and Lindy Dragonwater accepted their byes straight into the July 11 final, but Brandon Blvd, Bookie J and Ubrute all turned theirs down, a clear sign of confidence from their connections. That leaves a stacked ten-horse field for the $50,000 elimination, with the top five finishers advancing to next Saturday's final.
The biggest storyline heading into the Meadowlands Pace elimination is who isn't there. Reigning Horse of the Year Beau Jangles will miss the race entirely after his connections diagnosed a lung infection following a fifth-place finish at Woodbine Mohawk Park. That's a significant blow for a colt who pushed Odds On Mr Mamba to the wire in the North America Cup final, beaten just half a length in a track-record 1:48.1 mile.
With Beau Jangles out, North America Cup runner-up Brandon Blvd looks the one to beat. He raced brilliantly from post ten in the Cup final and gets a far kinder draw in post three here with Dexter Dunn again in the bike. Gentleman's Club has the gate speed to be a factor from post four, while Obliterate brings a strong 2026 form line with four wins already this season and a workable draw from post eight. Azrael Blue Chip, Bookie J, Sweet Lovin Lou and Always B Charlie all have the ability to sneak into the top five and keep their Meadowlands Pace dream alive.
Full field for the $50,000 Meadowlands Pace elimination, in post order:
| Post | Horse | Driver | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bookie J | Jason Bartlett | Chris Ryder |
| 2 | Sweet Lovin Lou | Scott Zeron | Daniel Lagace |
| 3 | Brandon Blvd | Dexter Dunn | Andrew Harris |
| 4 | Gentleman's Club | Andrew McCarthy | Aaron Lambert |
| 5 | Talbot Andretti | Matt Kakaley | Jake Leamon |
| 6 | Ubrute | Yannick Gingras | Ron Burke |
| 7 | Toby Ornot Toby | Tim Tetrick | Scott DiDomenico |
| 8 | Obliterate | Patrick Ryder | Chris Ryder |
| 9 | Azrael Blue Chip | Brett Beckwith | Besim Odza |
| 10 | Always B Charlie | Jason Bartlett | Nancy Takter |
Graduate Series Finals Bring Six Grand Circuit Stars
The $230,000 Stan Bergstein Graduate Trot Final was thrown wide open when On To Norway's remarkable 27-race winning streak, unbeaten since April 2025, ended in the final preliminary leg after Mr Mouton ran him down late. Unbeaten Super Chapter, trained by Marcus Melander and driven by Dexter Dunn, takes his perfect 2026 record into the final from post seven, while 2025 Breeders Crown champion Meshuggah and Kentucky Filly Futurity winner Delaney Hanover add serious depth from posts one and ten. On To Norway, driven by Yannick Gingras for trainer Ron Burke, drew post nine and carries a career-best 1:49.3 mile into the final.
The $230,000 Graduate Pace Final looks just as competitive. Prince Hal Hanover enters off a Graduate leg win at the Meadowlands and has emerged as one of the top four-year-old pacers in North America, but he faces a genuine test from the brilliantly fast Captain Optimistic, plus fellow leg winners Fallout, Ayeaye Captain Deo and Go Go Grasshopper.
Dave Brower Memorial and Perfect Sting Showcase the Older Stars
Champion pacer Ervin Hanover headlines the $168,100 Dave Brower Memorial, resuming after his Mohawk Gold Cup victory against a deep free-for-all field of older pacers.
The $153,200 Perfect Sting is all about Miki And Minnie. The four-year-old daughter of Always B Miki carries a three-race win streak into Saturday, including a sensational 1:49.1 mile that lowered the Plainridge Park track record for four-year-old pacing mares in her last start. She also beat the 2024 U.S. Horse of the Year in the Grade 1 Roses Are Red at Woodbine Mohawk Park on June 13, winning that one in 1:48.1. James MacDonald, who drove her in that career-defining win, is back in the bike from post five. Twin B Joe Fresh, the triple-millionaire stablemate who finished second in this event last year, looked sharp winning at Harrah's Philadelphia in 1:48.4 last time out and gets Dexter Dunn for another crack at the title. Breeders Crown winner Always B Naughty and the classy Louies Girl N round out a genuine Grand Circuit renewal.
JL Cruze and Six Pack Round Out a Loaded Card
The $131,250 JL Cruze opens the stakes action with defending divisional champion Lexus Kody returning off an impressive Woodbine Mohawk Park win. He'll have to get past the ultra-consistent Aetos Kronos S, who has been competitive in the biggest races all season without quite closing the deal. Ron Burke, Marcus Melander and Ake Svanstedt all have live contenders in what shapes as one of the more even features on the card.
The $129,400 Six Pack rounds out the stakes program with a ten-horse field led by Dial Square S from post one for driver James MacDonald and trainer Ake Svanstedt, alongside Miracle Maven, Elista Hanover and Warrawee Michelle.
Our Best Bets for Meadowlands Harness Racing This Weekend
Our top pick in the Meadowlands Pace elimination is Brandon Blvd. He's already proven he belongs with the division's best after chasing Odds On Mr Mamba home in the North America Cup final, and post three with Dexter Dunn gives him every chance to control the race on his own terms.
In the Perfect Sting, we're backing Miki And Minnie to make it four straight. A mare who can lower a track record and beat a reigning Horse of the Year in back-to-back starts is the standard bearer in this division right now, and post five keeps her out of traffic early.
The Graduate Trot Final is trickier with On To Norway's streak freshly snapped, but we still lean toward him bouncing back. A 27-race unbeaten run doesn't happen by accident, and Yannick Gingras will have him fit and ready after that career-best 1:49.3 mile. Odds move fast in these Grand Circuit fields, so check the tote board close to post before locking in your bets.
How to Bet on Meadowlands Harness Racing This Weekend
You can bet on every stakes race across the Meadowlands harness racing card at MyWinners. With $2.5 million in stakes on the line and a full house expected for the fireworks, this is one of the best weekends of the year to get involved.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
