East Rutherford, NJ — Playing the hot hand. Gamblers have been doing it as long as there has been action. And there is no doubt that Meadowlands’ bettors cashed some tickets last Friday (June 18) that they ordinarily might not have, as driver Dexter Dunn guided seven winners on the program, the second time in the last 18 months he has accomplished that remarkable feat. Saturday (June 19) belonged to trainer Ron Burke, who schooled four to victory lane.

“Playing the streaks,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir, “can make horseplayers money, if they know who’s hot.”

But if there aren’t obvious hot streaks, as in the case of Dunn and Burke, how else could one deduce that a particular driver or trainer might be a good one to follow before making a bet?

Digging for some information that is easy to access is one such way, and that information is always available on The Meadowlands website, playmeadowlands.com, by going to “News and Stats” and then clicking on the “Driver/Trainer Standings” tab.

Some of the numbers found reveal intel on the month of June that shrewd players would want to know.

Trainers
— Marcus Melander has sent out 10 starters, with six winners, two seconds and one third. That’s a Universal Trainer Rating (UTR) of .723. His horses have been on the board at an amazing rate of .900, an invaluable piece of information for trifecta players.
— Brett Pelling’s line reads 10-5-3-0, UTR .667, OTB .800.
— Tony Alagna’s stats are 29-9-6-5, UTR .483, OTB .689.

Drivers
— Dexter Dunn has 49 starts, with 13 wins, six seconds and eight thirds, UDR .388, OTB .551.
— Tim Tetrick: 64-16-10-8, UDR .378, OTB .531.
— Todd McCarthy: 62-13-13-9, UDR .375, OTB .564.
— David Miller: 44-8-7-5, UDR .308, OTB .455.

It comes as little surprise that heading into this weekend’s action, Dunn leads the driver colony in wins during 2021 with 95. Andy McCarthy is next with 70. Yannick Gingras (69), Todd McCarthy (67) and Tetrick (53) round out the top five.

With a top-flight operation that spans from Indiana to New Jersey, Jeff Cullipher sits atop the trainer standings with 47 wins while national top gun Burke is next with 33. Rounding out the top five are Edwin Quevedo (27), Tony Alagna (21) and Kelvin Harrison (19).

Great Things Await: The first three Saturday nights in July are worth circling on your calendar.

On July 3, The Meadowlands will have fireworks at the conclusion of the card on “Fan Appreciation Night.” During the evening, there will be $1 specials on hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels and soda, and $2 Bud and Bud Light drafts will also be available.

On July 10, the track’s “BBQ Extravaganza” will feature delicious barbecue cuisine from some of the best local food trucks and restaurants in the area. Come on out and eat between the hours of 5 and 11 p.m. on the East Apron.

On July 17, the Big M’s signature event, the $700,000 Meadowlands Pace, is the feature race on the “Greatest Night in Harness Racing,” which has a special early post time of 6 p.m.

Pace Night will also feature food trucks, a $500 win wager contest, and all sorts of options for those who would like to dine during the stakes-laden program. For complete information, go to playmeadowlands.com.

Free! Free! Free! Free programs for every race of every Meadowlands card are available to the public, and all one has to do to access them is go to playmeadowlands.com.

Get Tweeting: You can always check in with the team at The Meadowlands on Twitter.

For early changes, racing information and staff selections, go to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

On race nights, stay in touch with the Big M’s Dave Brower (@eedoogie), Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM), Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover) and Jessica Otten (@JessicaOtten1).

A $100,000 Promise: The best bet in all of harness racing, The Big M’s 50-cent Pick-4, offers a $50,000 guaranteed pool both times the wager is offered nightly. The Early P4 gets underway in the sixth race, while the Late P4 kicks off in the 10th.

Six Chances To Hit Big: Here are the six popular Meadowlands’ wagers that offer a low 15 percent takeout on a nightly basis:

Race 1: 20-cent Pick-5
Race 3: 20-cent Survivor Pick-7
Race 6: 50-cent Pick-4
Race 8: 20-cent Pick-6
Race 10: 50-cent Pick-4
Race 13: 10-cent Hi-5/Pentafecta

Brower’s Best Bets: For those who like to get a leg up on the action, go to playmeadowlands.com to see track oddsmaker and analyst Brower’s selections and commentary. Click on the “handicapping” tab and go to “race reviews.” Brower’s input is generally available 48 hours before every card.

Check Out Dave And Dave: Make that Dave and Gabe. Times two.

The Meadowlands’ TV talent lineup will be a bit deeper this weekend as Gabe Prewitt, the voice of Pompano Park and Lexington’s Red Mile, will be on hand Friday and Saturday, both day and night.

Prewitt, who also serves as the director of racing at Caesars Entertainment, will sit alongside Brower for the Friday night live simulcast presentation, before getting up early the next day and serving as the announcer for the track’s popular Saturday morning “Breakfast with the Babies.” Post time is 9 a.m.

Later Saturday, Prewitt will then join Little to serve as co-host on set.

Big M TV’s live “Racing from The Meadowlands” pre-game show, which provides news, notes, features, staff selections and a look at that evening’s marquee races, gets underway at 5:47 p.m.

Live racing continues every Friday and Saturday through Aug. 7 (Hambletonian Day). Post time is 6:20 p.m. with two exceptions: Meadowlands Pace Night (6 p.m.) and Hambletonian Day (noon).