Meadowlands returns with Friday card
February 15, 2018,from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department
East Rutherford, NJ — The Meadowlands returns with another live racing weekend beginning Friday night (Feb. 16).
Thirteen races with plenty of entries populate both the Friday and Saturday cards and the Friday feature is the eighth race, a 10-horse conditioned trot for a purse of $13,000.
The feature field is an interesting mix of young and old led by grizzled veteran 9-year-old Up Front Billy who has amassed more than $800,000 over his racing career for owner/trainer Mark Ford and partner Up Front Racing. A winner three back against lesser, he will be driven on Friday by Jim Pantaleano.
Explosive Ridge (post two, Marcus Johansson) and Di Oggi (post 10, Marcus Miller) are a talented pair of 4-year-olds in the field.
Explosive Ridge has been away from the races since last summer and comes in off an impressive qualifying win last week. Trainer Nancy Johansson owns him with Kenneth Ross.
Di Oggi on the other hand is in razor sharp form, having set a brand new 1:54 career record in his most recent start. Archie Kohr trains this one for Whiskey Trails Stable. He’s got speed enough to shop for an early forward placement to counter his unfortunate draw.
Friday is Asian Fusion night in Pink and on the wagering front, the last race Super Hi-5 Jackpot pool is now in excess of $100,000.
Post time is 6:35 p.m.
- Wallin ready for sophomore season (Thursday, February 15, 2018)
With a full year of racing and learning under his belt, 25-year-old Lucas Wallin is looking forward to his second season training his own stable. And while Wallin is interested in seeing how his young horses develop through the remainder of this winter with an eye toward summer success, he is happy to have a seasoned veteran to watch right now. Rossini, an 8-year-old gelding, will try to make it two wins in a row at the Meadowlands Racetrack when he competes against nine rivals in a conditioned trot Friday.