East Rutherford, NJ — The Meadowlands has hosted the greatest races in the Standardbred sport for almost 50 years now, and that tradition will continue with the most-anticipated dashes of the year coming up at The Big M over the next several weeks as the track’s Championship Meet winds its way toward the finish line, culminating with Hambletonian Day on Aug. 3.

The countdown to the mile oval’s signature event — The Meadowlands Pace — stands at 24 days, with eliminations seven days prior to that. The date for The Pace is July 13.

The Pace Night card has a laundry list of stakes. They are (with estimated purses): $700,000 Meadowlands Pace; $450,000 William R. Haughton Open Pace; $400,000 Hambletonian Maturity; $250,000 Stanley Dancer; $225,000 Del Miller Memorial; $200,000 Mistletoe Shalee; $175,000 Dorothy Haughton Open Mare Pace; and $40,000 Miss Versatility Mare Trot (Leg 4).

“All of us at The Meadowlands love the big race cards,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “But I’d also like to talk about all of the other things we offer every weekend here in East Rutherford, counting down to the greatest night in harness racing.

“As you may know, The Meadowlands has morphed into one of the most popular and safe outdoor and indoor entertainment venues in the metropolitan area. Within the perimeter lies the premiere sports betting facility of its type in the country, The FanDuel Sportsbook, which is the destination of many sports enthusiasts in the area.

“The Meadowlands has been getting very nice crowds outside as the weather has been getting warmer. The crowds provide a great backdrop to the competitive racing we offer. That racing affords our players a chance to make big hits. Last Saturday (June 15), one lucky bettor took down the entire Pick-6 pool — which, helped by a carryover, totaled $26,880 — on a 20-cent bet.”

Graduate Leg 3: Like last week, the Graduate Series will sit atop The Meadowlands marquee this weekend, with four $50,000 dashes for 4-year-olds — two for pacers and two on the trot — as leg three takes place on Saturday (June 22).

After taking next week off, the two $250,000 (est.) finals will take place on Saturday (July 6) when the Meadowlands Pace eliminations will also be contested.

In Saturday’s first trot, the Nancy Takter-trained Winner’s Bet (4-5 on the morning line) seeks a second straight Graduate score. He’ll likely have to track down Ponda Jet (5-2) again, the Jay Hochstetler trainee who showed high speed from the start in his Big M debut a week ago before getting gunned down.

Winner’s Bet’s mile time of 1:50 tied him as the fastest trotter of the year in the sport with Jiggy Jog S and Lexus Kody.

Hasty Bid (3-1), who provided three-time defending O’Brien Award-winning Driver of the Year James MacDonald one of his two Graduate victories, is off an upset, off-the-pace conquest for Takter of the Ake Svanstedt-trained Special Way (2-1), who is likely to go to the gate as the public choice for a second straight start.

The paces also have intriguing matchups.

Coach Stefanos (5-2) will seek a second straight Graduate win for Erv Miller in the first pace. He stopped the clock in a Big M season’s-best 1:47.3 a week ago, holding off the late charge of New Jersey Maturity winner Voukefalas (7-2).

No Control (5-1) pulled off a big upset at odds of 29-1 in the other pace, as the Tan Micallef student completed the mile in 1:47.3. He and Coach Stefanos now sit tied in the top spot as the fastest performers this year at The Big M.

Brisket Then, Wine Now: You don’t have to be a horse aficionado to enjoy life at The Meadowlands. Last week was a barbeque lover’s dream, as the thick aroma of delicious food was in the air all night long.

This Saturday (June 22), patrons will celebrate wine, as The Meadowlands presents its annual Winefest.

Festival highlights include wines from around the globe and a performance from DJ ALX.

The list of wineries is massive, so to get a look at the list, and to buy tickets to the event, go here.

Baby, You’re A Firework: Head to the track on Saturday (July 6) for Fan Appreciation Night, when the Cafe, Rooftop Terrace and Backyard will offer low-priced concession items. Available for $1 will be hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn and soda (limit five of each item per transaction). Available for $2 will be Bud and Bud Light drafts (for those 21 years of age and older).

Discount prices are available from 6-11 p.m. only, and after the races, there will be a free fireworks show for all patrons to enjoy.

Meadowlands Pace Night: Come and be a part of the “Biggest Party in Harness Racing,” as Meadowlands Pace Night takes place on Saturday (July 13).

For complete information, and to make reservations, go here.

The Sked: Live racing takes place every Friday and Saturday at The Meadowlands with a first-race post time of 6:20 p.m. The Big M’s live “Racing from The Meadowlands” pregame show begins every racing night at 5:45 p.m.

Racing will take place every Friday and Saturday through Aug. 3. Post time is always 6:20 p.m. with the exception of Aug. 3, Hambletonian Day, when post time is noon.

Free Programs Every Night: Past performances for every race of every Meadowlands card are available free of charge. All one has to do is go to playmeadowlands.com to access the information.

“X” Marks The Spot: Everything Meadowlands is available by going on X (formerly known as Twitter). You can check in with the Big M team for early changes, racing information and staff selections by going to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

Stay in touch with The Big M team of Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM) and Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover).

The Great Eight: The Meadowlands’ appetizing betting menu is now a little tastier with the addition of a second 20-cent Pick-5, joining the pair of 50-cent Pick-4s already on the bill of fare.

There are eight wagers nightly that offer a chance for players to make a big hit while betting into big pools that offer a low takeout of just 15 percent. Here is the lineup:

Races 1-5: Early 20-cent Pick-5
Races 2-8: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7 (mandatory payout nightly)
Races 4-9: 20-cent Pick-6
Races 6-9: Early 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
Race 7: 10-cent Pentafecta (Hi-5)
Races 8-12: Late 20-cent Pick-5
Races 10-13: Late 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
Races 11: 10-cent Pentafecta (Hi-5)

Rallis’ Race Reviews: For some help with your handicapping, check out the race reviews of The Big M’s morning-line oddsmaker and program analyst, John Rallis.

Rallis’ reviews are available 48 hours before a given card, and all one has to do to access the information is go to playmeadowlands.com, go to the “handicapping” tab, then click “race reviews.”

Bring The Kids, Win A Car: When you come to The Meadowlands, you can make a score at the windows. But now, you could also walk away with a brand new 2024 Toyota Camry LE AWD by participating in the track’s HorsePlay Giveaway, which takes place every race day until Friday (Aug. 2).

The HorsePlay Giveaway is sponsored by Purple Haze Stables.

The contest has patrons throwing little plastic horses into the car that will be given away for a chance to win it. Of those horses that end up on the track, the kids can get involved. Children who help out picking up the plastic horses off the track will receive a free ice cream at the Café.

For complete information, and to enter this extremely popular promotion, go here.