from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — When last seen in these parts, Pinkman was exiting the winner’s circle following his 2015 Hambletonian victory. The altered son of Explosive Matter returns to The Meadowlands in the sixth race on Friday (May 13) to face six foes with his sights set squarely on next week’s opening leg of the Graduate Series.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Hambletonian champion Pinkman returns to the Meadowlands on Friday night.

Pinkman’s 2015 season resulted in his being named as the Dan Patch 3-year-old male Trotter of the Year. He danced virtually every dance, winning 11 of 17 starts including the Canadian Trotting Classic and Kentucky Futurity to go along with the Hambo win while banking more than $1.8 million.

Leaving from post four Friday night, Pinkman comes in off of a pair of conditioning qualifiers for Jimmy Takter who trains him for owners Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding, Joyce McClelland and Herb Liverman. Yannick Gingras will drive.

Transitioning into the summer meet, all of The Meadowlands outdoor attractions are now open for business including Victory Terrace with its spectacular NYC skyline views and a fashionable bar crowd. Directed toward that demographic is Friday’s $50 Spring Handicapping Contest providing an arena for new fans to compete for cash prizes.

The guaranteed horizontal wagers are in place, free program pages for the late Pick-4 are available courtesy of TrackMaster and the last race Hi-5 Super Jackpot stands at $212,593 to open the weekend.

Post time is 7:15 p.m.