Hambo Day at the Big M bring out the game’s best

Hambletonian Day (Saturday, Aug. 8) is upon us, and, as usual, the 16-race card at The Meadowlands is packed with the game’s biggest stars.

Race 2: $180,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes 2-year-old colt and gelding Platinum division trot final – Jim Campbell trainee Wrong Sounds Right, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, seeks his third straight win. The main foe is the 9-5 Presidente, who was a close second in each of his last two.

Race 3: $310,750 Cane Pace (3-year-old open) – This dash features the first time that Meadowlands Pace winner Brandon Blvd, the 6-5 early choice, will take on North America Cup champion Odds On Mr Mamba (5-2).

Race 6: $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes 2-year-old filly Platinum division trot final – Wall Of Fame (2-1) was victorious in each of her three preliminaries while Nevis Peak (5-2) skipped Leg 2 three weeks ago but was a winner in the two legs she did participate in.

Race 8: $281,200 John Cashman Memorial (open trot) – The defending Dan Patch Trotter of the Year Lexus Kody (5-2) has won three in a row, including the JL Cruze and Spirit of Massachusetts. Can Super Chapter (7-2), off since July 11 after finishing second to On To Norway for a second straight start, be competitive as a 4-year-old taking on older?

Race 9: $500,000 Winning Key Farm Hambletonian Oaks (3-year-old filly trot) – Nezuko Kamado S (2-1) came up a neck short in her elimination as the 1-5 public choice facing Busy Miss Lissy S (4-1), and looks to get back on track and win for the fifth time in six seasonal tries.

Race 10: $183,650 Dr. John R. Steele Memorial (mares open trot) – Yo Tillie (3-1), the defending divisional champ, is off a determined nose victory in 1:51 using Lasix for the first time in the Miss Versatility.

Race 11: $1-million Winning Key Farm Hambletonian (3-year-old open trot) – Apex (5-2) has been the favorite to win America’s Trotting Classic since last summer, and he did win his elimination, but Ohio invader Big Ranger (2-1) has taken the role of favorite away off an eye-popping 1:50 lifetime-best clocking in his first-ever appearance at The Big M in his elim.

Races 12 and 13: $138,650 and $139,900, respectively, Sam McKee Memorial (open pace) – Both dashes look like great betting races with Captain Optimistic (3-1), a winner at The Big M earlier this year in 1:46.3, taking on William Haughton and #Senditin champ Lou Hill (7-2) in the first heat. Prince Hal Hanover (3-1), a lifetime earner of over $1.4 million, faces Haughton upset winner Bythemissal (9-2) in the second dash.

Race 14: $156,500 Lady Liberty (open mares pace) – The two superstars from the Chris Ryder barn go at it again when Twin B Joe Fresh (5-2) takes on Miki And Minnie (3-1). ‘Joe’ took down ‘Miki’ in the July 11 Dorothy Haughton, which was one week after Miki bested Joe in the July 4 Perfect Sting.

Race 15: $123,200 Shady Daisy (3-year-old filly pace) – Be Perfect BG (9-5) is five-for-seven this year and 10-for-12 lifetime. Her biggest challenge is likely to come from Darlin’s Angel (3-1), who paced her back half in :53.2 on the way to a lifetime-best 1:49.2 win last week in the Tompkins-Geers.

“Hambletonian Day is finally here, and all of us at The Meadowlands are ready to give our customers a memorable experience,” said track Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “All of our employees know what Hambletonian Day means. We will have customers who never miss a card in the building, and we also will have folks who come only on Hambo Day. Our goal is to show everyone a great time on not only what is our biggest day of the year, but the biggest day of the year for the entire sport.”

Live harness racing at The Meadowlands will be conducted on a Friday-Saturday basis through Sept. 12 with a first-race post time of 6:20 p.m.

There are some exceptions to those rules.

The 101st edition of the $1-million Hambletonian is on Saturday, Aug. 8, and that card begins at noon.

On Saturday, Aug. 15, racing will begin at 7 p.m.

Finally, there will be no live racing at The Meadowlands on Friday, Aug. 14, and Friday, Aug. 28, due to preseason football at MetLife Stadium.