from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — The Meadowlands will add Thursday night to the live racing schedule beginning on Jan. 8.

The first Thursday card of the year will feature the kick-off to the annual Winter Late Closers, the Super Bowl for lightly seasoned 3- and 4-year-old trotters. Leg one drew a healthy 37 entries which were split into four divisions, each racing for $12,500, with the $50,000 final on Jan. 24 the ultimate target.

Division one is the first race on the card and offers a look at two of the top prospects competing in the series. Royal Ice hasn’t raced much for owner Marc Goldberg and trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer but bought himself a ticket to the 2014 Hambletonian with his stunning 1:51.3 maiden-breaking win last summer.

He’ll face JL Cruze, a winner thrice including an impressive Big M debut last week for Delaware connections who bought him last fall at Harrisburg. Eric Ell trains and John Campbell will drive.

Propulsion has blossomed late for trainer Tony Alagna, who is likely hoping the Super Bowl will serve as a launching pad for the regally bred son of Muscle Hill to go on to bigger and better things for owners Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld, Sam Goldband, Joe Sbrocco and Little E LLC.

A three-time winner last season, Propulsion set his 1:52.3 mark in Lexington last fall and scored in an overnight at The Meadowlands a month ago. He’ll begin from post one in the second division (race two) for driver Tim Tetrick.

Opulent Yankee is the logical choice in division three (race four) off his recent form. A Red Mile 1:51.4 winner last fall, Opulent Yankee has a win and a second in his last pair at The Meadowlands and will begin from post two on Thursday for owner Little E, LLC. Andy and Julie Miller are the driver and trainer, respectively.

The fourth division (race seven) is a pari-mutuel puzzler and there is no greater mystery than Nick Salenetri’s unraced 4-year-old Two Hip Dip. Off just a pair of qualifiers, Two Hip Dip gives the impression he may have been worth the wait with his most recent a solid 1:59.1/:27.1 win for David Miller, who is listed for Thursday’s race.

Speaking of pari-mutuels, the eight percent takeout Hi 5 wager is proving to be the “it” bet now and The Meadowlands presents a pair of those opportunities nightly. The fifth race on Thursday will dispatch a bulky field of a dozen C-2 trotters going the route distance of a mile and one eighth and the jackpot carryover for the wager is at $10,645. The last race will see ten pacers off and the jackpot amount in that Hi 5 carryover pool is more than $28,000.

Post time on Thursday is 7:15 p.m. Further information is available by visiting The Meadowlands website.