Washington, PA — The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association has introduced a live video feature to help fans get up close and personal with horsemen and horsewomen at The Meadows.

Called Straight from the Gate, the 10-minute interview show airs on Facebook Live each Friday at 12:15 p.m. Dawnelle Mock, MSOA marketing director, conducts the interviews while track photographer Chris Gooden provides the video.

Guests so far have included drivers Brady Brown, Tony Hall and Mike Wilder, trainers Jason Robinson and John Zawistowski, parade marshal/outrider Missy Rothfuss and Starting Judge Joe Denman. The guest for Friday (Feb. 7) is trainer Dirk Simpson.

The starting gate serves as the backdrop for the interviews, so the show is sponsored, appropriately enough, by Woebkenberg Starting Gates, which has teamed with the MSOA for a giveaway. Each Thursday, when the next day’s guest is posted on Facebook, all those who like or share the post or tag a friend are entered in a drawing for a free Woebkenberg sweatshirt or t-shirt. Gooden sometimes enriches the prize pool by contributing a photograph.

To access Straight from the Gate, click here.