Hightstown, NJ – After finishing his 2025 campaign with back-to-back victories, Benny J will look to continue his winning ways in his first start this year when he meets nine rivals in Sunday afternoon’s (Jan. 11) featured trot at the Meadowlands.
Racing begins at 12:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday. The card is the first of four Sunday afternoon offerings at the Big M, to be followed by action on Jan. 18, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, as the Meadowlands goes to a Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule for the month.
Benny J, a 5-year-old son of Walner-Anywhere With You owned by Ken Jacobs, won the $35,000 Exit 16W Pop Up Series conditioned trot final in 1:52.4 on Dec. 18 at the Meadowlands and followed that triumph with a 1:55.1 score in a $13,500 conditioned event Dec. 31 at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
The victories capped a season in which Benny J got off to a delayed start because of an injury and then battled on the Kentucky Sire Stakes circuit and in the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway.
“He had an injury his last start of the year, so we had to give him some time, and he came back well from that,” trainer Tony Alagna said. “Mr. Jacobs is a patient owner and gave him all the time he needed to be able to come back and perform at the level we thought he could. We’ve been very happy with the way he’s come back.
“He started off a little rough going to Kentucky and racing against the 4-year-olds in the top division, but since we brought him home, and with the addition of Lasix, he’s really gotten into his groove the last couple starts.”
As a 3-year-old, Benny J had a win and a third in the preliminary rounds of the New Jersey Sire Stakes series before finishing second to Karl in the final. He also earned paychecks in three preliminary legs and the final of the Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship Series, as well as in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes.
For his career, Benny J has five wins in 34 races and earnings of $219,995.
“He’s a versatile horse,” Alagna said. “He can leave and he can come off the pace. He’s better if he doesn’t get used too hard early in the mile, but in his last couple starts he’s even been good that way. He was good in his last start versus easier, but when he won the series final at the Meadowlands the start before that, he was very sharp and got home in :27.2, which was a big last quarter that night.
“The good thing is he can get around any size track. He hasn’t had that many starts, so we decided to keep going a little bit and race him while he’s sharp. So, that’s what we’re doing, and then we’ll see where we’re at and decide what we’re going to do with him at 5.”
Benny J is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Sunday’s featured trot at the Meadowlands, where he will leave from post six with Jim Marohn Jr. in the sulky.
Among the others in the field is 5-year-old mare Bourbonista S, who had a win over Benny J in a leg of the Exit 16W series, as well as a second-place finish, before a sixth-place effort in the final. Sunday will be her first race since then, and she returns on Lasix for the first time.
A daughter of Face Time Bourbon-Affinity Kronos, Bourbonista S was purchased in an online auction in May by Deo Volente Farms and launched her North American racing career in November with trainer Noel Daley. She has a win and two seconds in five races, all at the Meadowlands.
Lifetime, she has hit the board in 15 of 21 starts, winning five and earning $92,638. Among her starts in Sweden last year, she finished third in a Group 2 event for 4-year-old mares captured by 2024 Dan Patch Award-winner Allegiant.
“I loved her training down,” Daley said. “She’s sort of been a bit hit or miss, but she did bleed the last time she raced, and I expect her to be better. She can be a bit of a handful on the track, she can get a little wound up, but she is really good gaited and easy to be around. She always seemed like she was very nice, and she’s been training good.”
Bourbonista S will leave from post four with driver Johnathan Ahle on Sunday. She is 6-1 on the morning line.
For free Meadowlands past performances from TrackMaster, click here.