by Debbie Little

Treats come early for fans of The Meadowlands in October as the track’s fall meet kicks off on Friday (Oct. 20).

Historically, October has not been a typical month for The Big M to race. In fact, over the last 15 years (not including the COVID-19 year of 2020), other than when they hosted the Breeders Crown in 2016 and 2021, The Meadowlands has only raced in October on three occasions (2010, 2018, and 2019).

What perhaps makes 2023 different is it’s not a typical year, in fact, it’s been a banner year. From a handle perspective, it has been the high point of the Jeff Gural era (2011 to present), and possibly ever.

In 2023, the average nightly handle has been just a hair over $3.2 million. The previous Gural-era best was in 2021, when the handle averaged $3 million.

“It’s been a great year from an export standpoint,” said The Meadowlands chief operating officer/general manager Jason Settlemoir. “We’re excited to get started back here in October [with harness racing], as soon as we wrap up the thoroughbred meet.”

The five-week Monmouth Park @ The Meadowlands turf meet comes to a close on Saturday night (Oct. 14).

To say The Meadowlands wants to keep their record-setting 2023 momentum going would be an understatement. And, as always, they’re looking to put the best racing product in the world on their mile oval, which starts when they open back up with stakes races on every weekend through the end of November.

To kick things off, school’s back in session for the standardbreds, as the last two Friday nights in October will feature the $20,000 fourth and fifth legs of the Kindergarten Classic Series for freshman male and female pacers and trotters.

Top colts and fillies, including T C I, Karl, Newsroom, Cheval Rapide and Caviart Belle, have competed in early legs of the series.

The Kindergarten competitors will look to finish at the top of their class on Saturday (Nov. 4), in the $250,000 finals for freshman trotters; their pacing counterparts will compete for $175,000. There will be $50,000 consolations available in all four divisions. All purses throughout this column are
estimated.

The following Saturday (Nov. 11) New Jersey’s best freshman will be on display in $40,000 divisions of the Home Grown Pace and $80,000 divisions of the Garden State Trot. New Jersey has incredible trotting stallions like Ecurie D DK, Muscle Hill, Six Pack, Tactical Landing and Walner and their pacing counterparts, Lazarus N and Perfect Sting, not to mention trotter Alrajah One IT and pacer Southwind Ozzi that both raced and stood this year.

And if you still haven’t gotten your fill of watching talented 2-year-olds strut their stuff, the $20,000 eliminations for the Governor’s Cup (2YOCP), Three Diamonds (2YOFP), Valley Victory (2YOCT) and Goldsmith Maid (2YOFT) — collectively known as the “Fall Final Four” — are on Saturday (Nov. 18).

The final race card of November will include the $400,000 finals for the Fall Final Four as well as the FanDuel Championships for the older pacing and trotting set.

The outcome of these important races in some cases has helped to solidify divisional honors as well as totally shaking things up.

The Meadowlands will be dark on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday (Nov. 24). As a result, they will be racing on Thursday (Dec. 7) as well as every Friday and Saturday in December.

“I’m very pleased with how 2023 has been,” Settlemoir said. “So, we’re going to put our thinking caps on and start looking forward to wrapping up 2023 in the last quarter here and then looking at 2024 with a bunch of optimism.

“We just need to work in 2024 on maintaining our off-track numbers and trying to get more people here to the track.”