Washington, PA — Here is this week’s Meadows Monday Memo.

HORSES PREP FOR 2024 DEBUT
As we approach February, horses that stopped racing in the Fall are gearing up for a return to action in 2024. On Tuesday, a total of 32 horses are entered in qualifying races, the final preparation for a return to the races. Qualifiers can always be viewed live or archived on the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association Facebook page. Post time is 11 a.m. every Tuesday.

STARTER ALLOWANCES RETURN
Last winter, The Meadows offered several races each week that were written as “Starter Allowances,” and the race condition has returned starting this week. Wednesday’s first race is a Starter Allowance for horses that have started for a claiming price of $20,000 in at least one of their last three races. The 10th race on Wednesday and a pair of races on Thursday are also written as Starter Allowances.

LEMS APPROACHES MILESTONE
Recent weather issues have left driver Chris Lems having to wait to reach a career milestone. The 37-year-old reinsman currently has 2,998 driving wins, and will have five drives on Wednesday at The Meadows. He has been driving daily at The Meadows over the past three months and has recorded nine wins in 86 Meadows drives in 2024.