Big nights at Big M continue as winter draws near
At 13h06, on November 9, 2024 • By Meadowlands Media Communications
While it’s true the Breeders Crown is now in the rearview mirror, the 2024 stakes action is anything but concluded at The Meadowlands, as just two weeks after hosting the 12 Crown events, The Big M is back this Saturday (Nov. 9) with four Kindergarten Classic finals for 2-year-olds of each sex and gait for purses totaling $730,200.
Beyond that, the mile oval will then have one more monster night at the races before settling in for five months of winter action, when Fall Final Four/FanDuel Championships Night takes place on Saturday (Nov. 30).
“We are in the midst of a great run here at The Meadowlands,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “We came back from our five-week layoff with two weeks of Breeders Crown action, then, last week and this, the Kindergarten, and then, we’ll dole out over $2.5 million in purses on Fall Final Four/FanDuel Championships Night three weeks from Saturday. It is a great time for all harness fans to be watching and wagering on our races, as many of them will determine divisional honors.”
While there are many talented colts and fillies racing Saturday, one mega-star will be making his final start of the season in the Kindergarten colts and geldings trot.
Maryland is the third-ranked horse in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Top 10 Poll, behind only Horse of the Year favorite Twin B Joe Fresh and the generational talent Jiggy Jog S, who retired earlier this year due to injury after winning all six of her seasonal outings.
A son of Chapter Seven-Crucial, Maryland is the top money-earning horse in the sport this year with a bankroll of $1.145 million. He’s won five of eight starts this season, with four of those wins coming in the division’s biggest dashes: the Breeders Crown, Mohawk Million, Peter Haughton and William Wellwood.
Owned by Courant Inc., PCW Racing, Holly Lane Stud East LTD and S. Stewart/R. Thorn Stable, Maryland, the early favorite for the 2025 Hambletonian, is trained by Marcus Melander and has been driven in all of his starts this year by Dexter Dunn.
