Meadowlands show evolving by revolving

 by Debbie Little

Since mid-August, the co-host seat on the nightly “Racing from The Meadowlands” live simulcast show has become a bit of a revolving door, with a variety of talent sitting alongside host Dave Little.

Some of the new faces to join the roster are horsepeople. Longtime owner Larry Fox was in the hot seat last Friday, while this weekend trainer Annie Stoebe makes her debut before the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Association’s Meadow Twaddle returns for her second stint next week.

“I think to be able to hear other people’s perspectives is important, because some of the people that we have co-hosting have completely different perspectives than what the gamblers do,” said Meadowlands chief operating officer/general manager Jason Settlemoir. “When you talk about somebody like Annie Stoebe, she’s going to give a perspective from a horseperson’s standpoint so that our customers that are listening also have an understanding of what the horsemen and horsewomen are thinking.”

Regardless of Stoebe being such a pro in front of the camera, having been interviewed so much recently due to the success of stable stars Elista Hanover and Diabolic Hill, she said she thinks there will be some butterflies tonight.

“It’s a different role than being interviewed,” she said. “I’ll be leading conversations and giving opinions, but I’m more excited than nervous… and at least no one will try to bite me on camera [like Diabolic Hill when you’re not paying attention].”

Twaddle admitted to being a little nervous the first time on set.

“I had never done anything like that before, especially on such a large platform,” she said. “When you’re put in a position like that for the first time, people are curious to see how you’ll handle it, so I knew all eyes were on me. To put it bluntly, I just really didn’t want to make a fool of myself. But I’ve gotten good at being comfortable while uncomfortable, so I embraced the moment and told myself to make the most of the experience. Looking back, those nerves were actually a good thing — they pushed me to stay focused and grounded. Once we went live, the adrenaline took over in the best way, and I realized how much I genuinely enjoyed it.”

Fox, who in addition to being a horseman is also a lawyer and sports agent, said there are always some slight nerves when you’re a bit of a perfectionist.

“My father always taught me if you’re going to agree to do something, give it 100 per cent and be as great as possible,” he said. “I did a bunch of in-studio television work on Court TV years ago where I was often asked to come in studio when there was a trial involving a former athlete to co-host certain shows. That experience prepared me to be at ease in front of a camera. I also do a lot of public speaking, most recently about name, image and likeness [NIL] rights for college athletes and the transformation of NCAA athletics.”

Twaddle said being on the show at The Big M was a dream come true.

“When I was at the 2024 Breeders Crown, I told myself that it would be a dream to one day be part of The Meadowlands broadcast,” she said. “Being on a stage that big felt almost unreachable, but once I started doing more on-camera work [co-hosting the podcast Hot 2 Trot], that goal resurfaced. I never originally thought broadcasting was for me, but the more I did it, the more it clicked. I didn’t expect the opportunity to come this quickly, but when it did, it was an easy yes. Getting the chance to represent harness racing on a platform as respected as The Meadowlands means a lot to me.”

Fox said with a laugh that once he realized he wasn’t going to be a professional athlete, he turned his attention to being an announcer/broadcaster.

“I did football and basketball play-by-play in college on radio,” Fox said. “Knowing a lot about harness racing from many different angles, it felt like a great fit, so when Dave [Little] asked if I’d like to do [The Meadowlands show], it was a no brainer.”

Stoebe said she loves sharing the stories behind the horses and being an on-air co-host will give her the opportunity to do that.

“As a trainer, I see their personalities and development up close, and bringing that perspective to the biggest stage in our sport felt exciting and natural,” she said.

Fox, who figures to be back on set early next year, likened his Meadowlands co-hosting debut to that of a young 2-year-old in its first qualifier before its first pari-mutuel start, finishing third in 1:55:1 with lots of room for improvement and upside.

He said he thinks his knowledge as a horseman and announcer gives him a different viewpoint that he looks forward to sharing with the viewers.

“I think my experience from many different angles of the sport and knowing so many people involved, including the trainers and drivers, and having worked with many of them, gives me somewhat of a unique perspective to share insights with viewers,” Fox said. “In addition, having called many local races at different tracks, I have a personal familiarity with about 30 per cent of the horses on a typical local overnight card. That allows me to share tidbits of information about certain horses that people won’t ordinarily see in the current program. So, I hope my unique skill set and sharing my knowledge, challenges viewers to take different factors into consideration when handicapping that they might not ordinarily consider.”

Fox got to call the entire Meadowlands race card on Nov. 20, the night before he co-hosted, and although each was a good experience, if push came to shove, one ranks a little higher for him.

“I still think I enjoy calling a race as my preference but I really enjoyed co-hosting,” he said. “I’ve called over 600 races and have co-hosted only once but I really enjoyed it a lot and Dave Little is so professional, enjoyable, and makes it so easy. Dave sacrificed himself at times to make me look good. That’s a good host.”

Twaddle will be back on set for a three-night stint Dec. 4-6. Even though she didn’t totally know what to expect the first time she co-hosted there were some lasting positives she took away from the experience.

“What really surprised and impressed me was the crew as a whole,” she said. “From visuals and graphics to audio and everything in between, every detail was planned down to the minute — and no one missed a beat. Seeing how passionate and dialed-in the entire team is gave me an even greater appreciation for what the viewers at home see. It’s not just a show — it’s the product of people who care deeply about presenting our sport at the highest level.”

She also said she learned something about herself by doing the show.

“I don’t think I realized how much I could actually talk,” she said with a laugh. “Anyone who knows me knows I’m usually on the quiet side, so seeing this version of myself made me a little proud. I also had an outpouring of positive feedback, which meant a lot. But I’m still hard on myself, and I can pinpoint the exact moments where I stumbled and what I want to improve. For the next show, I want to slow myself down a little, bring even more insight to the viewers, and continue finding my on-air rhythm. I’m excited to build off the first experience and show even more growth on Dec. 4. There’s so much more I can learn — and I’m eager to. I welcome constructive criticism, and I think everyone in this industry is always evolving and getting better.”

The main responsibility of the co-host on a show like Racing from The Meadowlands is to handicap the card and enlighten the betting public as to why they made the selections they did. Stoebe said she really enjoys handicapping and looks forward to sharing her knowledge with the betting public this weekend.

“I like looking past the program and focusing on why a horse is improving, struggling, or ready to pop,” she said. “I view handicapping through the eyes of a trainer, not just a bettor.

“I can read things that don’t show up on the page — equipment changes, behavior, how a horse is traveling, and whether they’re mentally sharp. My goal is to help fans understand what the horse is telling us.”