Harness Racing This Week: Dexter Cup and Lady Suffolk, Freehold Raceway, Freehold, N.J.; Paul Revere Pace, Plainridge Park, Plainville, Mass.; and Miss Versatility Series opening leg, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J. Schedule of events: Grand Circuit action begins Thursday (May 2) at Plainridge Park with the $100,000 Paul Revere Pace for 3-year-old pacing males. Freehold Raceway
East Rutherford, NJ - The Meadowlands is proud and excited to announce that the entire 2024 stakes program at the harness racing industry’s leading racetrack will offer nearly $25 million in purses. Greatly enhancing the Grand Circuit stakes presence this year will be the return of the Breeders Crown to the Garden State. Harness Racing’s
On a perfectly dreadful morning with temperatures in the high 40s (48°F / 9°C) with rain but little wind, the qualifiers got a 9:00 a.m. early start at The Meadowlands. The track was listed as “sloppy” but that was not an issue for a number of harness racing's top trotters from 2022.
By John Furgele
Last fall, Manchego ran what was thought to the final race of her career in the Breeders’ Crown. A few months of rest, then it would be time to enjoy retirement for a while, and on to the business of becoming a broodmare.
Oops. Well, Manchego was retired last October. Over the winter, though, trainer Nancy Takter was able to convince Manchego’s owner to unretire her and get going again for 2021 perhaps beyond.
On May 15, she rallied in deep stretch to win the Arthur Cutler Memorial at the Meadowlands. On May 30 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, she went wide again to win the Maxie Lee trot, beating the boys again in 1:51.1.