from the Meadowlands Publicity Department

East Rutherford, NJ — If a career in racing does not work out for Ray Gun, he may have a future in basketball.

“He has a basketball in his stall, and he plays with it all day,” said the trotter’s trainer, Nick Sodano. “Some horses you put toys in their stall and they play once and a while. He stands straight up and has this ball in his mouth. Maybe he can help the Knicks out.”

Ray Gun bids for his third straight win in the $75,000 Super Bowl Series Final, the sixth race on Wednesday night at the Meadowlands.

Rated at 7-2 on the morning line, he will try to complete a sweep of the three-week series from post three, with George Brennan in the sulky.

The four-year-old son of Donerail is a recent addition to the barn of Sodano, who shares the training duties with his wife, Lora.

“I got him a couple of months ago,” he said. “Gary Mosher, one of the top drivers in New York, just moved back to Maine, and he sent me the horse. He is a good horse, and he keeps getting better each time. He is a big strong thing — not big and tall — big and bulky. He is a good feeling horse. My wife, Lora, babies him.”

Ray Gun won both of his preliminary divisions of the Super Bowl Series, and lowered his mark to 1:56² in last week’s second leg. He is a perfect two-for-two in 2004.

“He has a lot of ability,” Sodano said. “He was racing on smaller tracks in New York. He was having trouble with the smaller tracks and the owners wanted him to race on a big track. He won six of 19 starts last year, so they wanted to race him at the Big M and give him a shot. He needs experience. He is a big green colt who had a lot of soreness early on. Now things are falling into place for him, which is key to a good horse. He is on a big track and he keeps getting sounder and sounder. He had trouble getting into races without being eligible (to series stakes) here when he first came around the holidays. Each start in this series, he has been winning well in hand.”

Ray Gun, who is owned by the Maine Prime Time Stable (Michael Cayouette, James Christensen, John J. Loiko and John S. Loiko) of Monmouth, Maine, is also eligible to the Horse & Groom Series, which begins on February 22 at the Meadowlands.

The draw for the $75,000 Super Bowl Final (6th Race, January 20):

PP Horse Driver Trainer MLs

1 Musclini Jim Doherty Jim Doherty 12-1

2 Bundle of Gold Trond Smedshammer Trond Smedshammer 9-2

3 Ray Gun George Brennan Lora Sodano 7-2

4 P T Star Donald Dancer Donald Dancer 15-1

5 Keystone Harrier Jack Moiseyev Norton Shoemaker III 8-1

6 Mohammed Mali David Miller Noel Daley 5-2

7 Tis Mr Mac Himself Daniel Dube John McDermott 15-1

8 R T J Brian Sears Per Henriksen 10-1

9 Tequila Spur Jim Morrill, Jr. MarkFord 8-1

10 My Blue Jeans Mike Lachance Brett Pelling 12-1

8minuteDating could be winning ticket for singles

The nation’s most popular speed dating program, 8minuteDating, makes a stop at the Meadowlands Racetrack on Thursday, February 5, 2004.

The event for single professionals, ages 25-35 and 30-40, will be held in the elegant rooftop Pegasus restaurant and bar. An assortment of hot and cold appetizers will be served. The cost of registration is $40, and reservations should be made directly through 8minuteDating at www.8minutedating.com.

First date “post time” is 7:08 p.m. An evening of live harness racing begins at 7:30 p.m.

After the eighth date of the evening, drawings will be held for dining gift certificates to Pegasus and Terraces restaurants at the Meadowlands. All participants will receive a “Thank You” package from the Meadowlands, featuring coupons for free Pegasus admission, free racing program and free dessert with the purchase of a meal.

At 8minuteDating events, participants have eight one-on-one dates that last eight minutes each. If both parties are interested in meeting again, the company provides contact information so they can set up another date. The 8minuteDating company guarantees participants will meet someone they want to see again or their next event is on the company.