Matt Rose's analysis of the Monday 4/21 card at Yonkers Raceway.

John Rallis' analysis of the Monday 4/21 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Kenny Walters' horses to watch list from Pocono Downs Mohegan Pennsylvania.

"I feel great." Those were the words of driver Mark MacDonald the morning after he drove two horses in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway, his first drives in nearly six months following a devastating accident at the same track that put him out of action.

Eddie Dennis is only bringing one horse to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday, and despite his 10-1 morning line odds, the trainer is feeling confident. Flight In Motion is one of eight finalists in the $50,000 Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, race 10 on a 14-race afternoon card that starts at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).

The 2025 edition of the John Brennan Trotting Series will conclude on Wednesday (April 23) at MGM Yonkers Raceway, and the fields for both the $132,000 final and $50,000 consolation are now set.

After three rounds of both the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series and MGM Borgata Pacing Series, trainer Peter Tritton is pleased with where his horses are positioned in the standings. But he also knows there is still work to be done in the six-week events at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Derick Giwner's analysis of the Saturday 4/19 card at The Meadowlands.

John Rallis' analysis of the Saturday 4/19 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

DRF Harness Weekend weekly newsletter archive.

Horses trained by Ron Burke or Per Engblom were the winners of all three $30,000 divisions of the final preliminary round of the John Brennan Trotting Series on Wednesday night (April 16) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Derick Giwner's analysis of the Friday 4/18 card at The Meadowlands.

Matt Rose's analysis of the Friday 4/18 card at Yonkers Raceway.

John Rallis' analysis of the Friday 4/18 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Kenny Walters' horses to watch list from Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Matt Kakaley, three-time defending dash-winning driving champion at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, recorded his 7,000th visit to the winner's circle as a driver when he guided Franzo to Victory Lane in the second race at the northeast Pennsylvania oval on Monday afternoon.

Stakes action is set to ramp up Friday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park for the opening leg of the Canadian Sired Graduate Series.

Sports and records go hand in hand. Each historic milestone is like a carrot on the stick being chased by the next generation. Despite comments by some to the contrary, this rings no less true in harness racing. As an industry – from fans to drivers to breeders – everyone loves speed. There is something about a Standardbred traveling at high speeds and reaching an achievement that none of its peers have previously accomplished.

Harrah’s Hoosier Park is set to make the transition to a four-day week of racing with the addition of Wednesday cards beginning on April 16 with a 13-race card set to get underway at 6:15 p.m.

The Meadowlands' fourth handicapping contest of the year happens this Saturday, April 19. Players must register/check in at the Clubhouse Lobby by 6:20 p.m.

John Rallis' analysis of the Thursday 4/17 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Greg Reinhart's analysis of the Thursday 4/17 card at Yonkers Raceway.

For the second consecutive week, driver Jason Bartlett had a hat trick in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway, taking victories in Monday night's (April 14) third round with Himself N, Huntinthelastdolar and Coaches Corner. Verdun, steered by trainer Pat Lachance, was the other winner.

Three-year-old trotters were spotlighted in $20,000 preliminary divisions of their respective Bobby Weiss Series at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday, with males going in their third and final preliminary before next Monday's $50,000 Championship, while the distaffs contested their second prelim. There were three divisions for each sex.

Greg Reinhart's analysis of the Wednesday 4/16 card at Yonkers Raceway.

Matt Rose's analysis of the Tuesday 4/15 card at Yonkers Raceway.

The trip wasn't as easy as last week's, but the result remained the same for Mac's Delight, who won a second straight Saturday night feature at the Meadowlands.

It's been nine years since Bit Of A Legend N swept through the eliminations and captured the final of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series (nee George Morton Levy) at Yonkers Raceway. The horse put young driving star Jordan Stratton on the map. Following the first two legs of the 2025 Borgata Series, similarities can be seen between the 2016 champion and the locally undefeated Mossdale Ben N.

Two sophomore pacing males came to Saturday's Bobby Weiss Series action at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania looking to sweep their three series preliminaries. Neither was successful, though, and instead three horses joined them as double prelim winners from the four $20,000 divisions, promising a wide-open $50,000 Championship next Saturday. There were also five divisions of the first Weiss leg for these horses' female counterparts.

Preparations for the upcoming stakes season ramped up in a big way on Saturday at the Meadowlands as the oval played host to 17 qualifiers, with some of last year's stars out for a tour of the mile oval.

If there were any questions about Aardie B Miki's talent following her dominant performances in the first two legs of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series, they were answered in a major way on Friday night (April 11) at MGM Yonkers Raceway. The 5-year-old by Always B Miki offered a new wrinkle to her resume by racing on the front-end for the first time in North America and winning impressively in a 1:53 1/5 clocking with driver Jason Bartlett relaxed at the wire.

Matt Rose's analysis of the Monday 4/14 card at Yonkers Raceway.

John Rallis' analysis of the Monday 4/14 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Kenny Walters' horses to watch list from Pocono Downs Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Live harness racing action returns to Massachusetts on Monday (April 14) at 4 p.m. when Plainridge Park kicks off their 2025 season with the best horses, drivers and trainers from New England who will line up for the next eight months during the meet that runs through Friday (Nov. 29).

What a difference a year makes. That's the conclusion one can make from looking at the lack of form from a pair of sophomores that will see action in the Weiss Series on Saturday afternoon.

It has been a decade since the winter late closer program was last seen at the Meadowlands. The age of the Super Bowl, White Ruffles, Clyde Hirt and other Meadowlands mainstays of the winter months came to an end following the 2015 racing season.

Marcus Melander will get his stable’s 2025 season underway Friday (April 11) at The Meadowlands, and he will do it with two horses that were competing overseas in recent years.

Derick Giwner's analysis of the Saturday 4/12 card at The Meadowlands.

John Rallis' analysis of the Saturday 4/12 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

For a fifth consecutive year, the TV teams at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and The Meadowlands will combine forces to bring high-caliber harness racing stakes events to a national television audience over the networks of FOX Sports as part of NYRA’s “America’s Day at the Races” telecasts.

Antognoni S, Blockchain and Busy Making Moni gave driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke the victories in the trio of $30,000 divisions of the second leg of the John Brennan Trotting Series on Wednesday night (April 9) at MGM Yonkers Raceway.

Derick Giwner's analysis of the Friday 4/11 card at The Meadowlands.

Matt Rose's analysis of the Friday 4/11 card at Yonkers Raceway.

John Rallis' analysis of the Friday 4/11 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Kenny Walters' horses to watch list from Woodbine Mohawk Park.

No tickets had five-of-five in the Pick 5 on Tuesday night (April 8) at MGM Yonkers Raceway, triggering a hefty $9,456.76 carryover and a $25,000 guaranteed pool in the sequence on Wednesday night (April 9).

The draw is complete for the first racing card of 2025 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, which will take place on Friday with a special evening post time of 6:30 p.m.

John Rallis' analysis of the Thursday 4/10 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Greg Reinhart's analysis of the Thursday 4/10 card at Yonkers Raceway.

Starting this Friday, April 11th, the Meadowlands Racetrack will begin reducing the drag by one minute each live race night.

If one thing remains true, it’s that the harness racing community proves time and time again that there’s more to the industry than just a sport, just those two minutes on the track, and just individual stables racing against each other. In a time of need, the community bounces back stronger than ever to help one another.

Either Jason Bartlett or Jordan Stratton was the winning driver in all five $50,000 divisions of the second leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series on Monday night (April 7) at MGM Yonkers Raceway as Bartlett was victorious with Its A Me Mario, Huntinthelastdolar and Coaches Corner, while Stratton guided repeaters For Once Inmy Life and Mossdale Ben N.

Trainer Julie Miller sent out the fastest divisional winner of each sex as 3-year-old trotters raced for $20,000 a cut in the Bobby Weiss Series Monday afternoon over a track rated "good" at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. The two main drivers of "Team Orange Crush" each got a victory in the sophomore action, and both "Team" horses also posted the biggest winning margin for their division.

Ontario-based driver Brett MacDonald came to Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel with a single drive on Monday's (April 7) 12-race card. MacDonald not only guided his charge, Saulsbrook Victor, to win the $30,000 Open Pace, but he also earned the 2,000th win of his career.

Greg Reinhart's analysis of the Wednesday 4/9 card at Yonkers Raceway.

Matt Rose's analysis of the Tuesday 4/8 card at Yonkers Raceway.

On a sloppy Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, Oogleville and World Of Wishes both ran their records to two-for-two in as many preliminaries of the Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old pacing males, which on Saturday saw five $20,000 divisions contested.

Matt Rose's analysis of the Monday 4/7 card at Yonkers Raceway.

Kenny Walters' horses to watch list from Pocono Downs Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Though breeders hope for it every time they bring two Standardbreds together, it is rare that full brothers or sisters reach the same levels when put to the racetrack. It's so uncommon that it was somewhat shocking to witness two performances within a three-day span as MGM Yonkers Raceway kicked off its stakes campaign last Friday (March 28) and Monday (March 31).

The few faithful fans on-track at The Meadowlands for the 4 p.m. qualifying session on March 29 along with those watching via the internet from afar saw something a bit “off color” going around the track. A rare pinto raced in the sixth qualifier and finished third in his first charted line in North America. He is one of a few that will be in action on the track in 2025.

John Rallis' analysis of the Saturday 4/5 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Matt Rose's analysis of the Friday 4/4 card at Yonkers Raceway.

John Rallis' analysis of the Friday 4/4 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Kenny Walters' horses to watch list from Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The chestnut Love You sophomore gelding Beaujolais Breeze made a striking pari-mutuel debut on Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, as the Love You gelding came up on the grind while going his back-half in 56 3/5 to win his $20,000 division of the Bobby Weiss Series’s first preliminary for 3-year-old trotting males in 1:55 2/5.

Woodbine Mohawk Park was forced to cancel Saturday evening's card after six races due to inclement weather that caused poor visibility.

After Landia pulled off a 41-1 upset in the 13th race at the Meadowlands Friday night, no one held a winning 20-cent Pick 6 ticket, so fans of the bet that's offered on races eight through 13 will be shooting for a carryover of $5,029 on Saturday night.

Greg Reinhart's analysis of the Wednesday 3/26 card at Yonkers Raceway.

Saulsbrook Victor used a fast third quarter to maintain the lead before holding on for dear life in a thrilling finish in the Saturday night feature at the Meadowlands, and in the process, foiled Mad Max Hanover's bid for a fifth straight score.

An ambitious 2025 Kentucky harness racing season kicks off this Monday (March 24) at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel with the first of two 12-race cards slated for opening week.

With spring having officially sprung early this (March 20) morning, it’s now the time of year for some of the better horses to come out of their cold-weather hibernation and start to prepare for the 2025 racing season.

John Rallis' analysis of the Saturday 3/22 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

There are numerous variables and factors that go into a harness race and several things that can make or break a horse in their career. From weather and track conditions to race conditions and post position, the logistics of the race day can influence the result as well as the team behind the horse including the trainer, caretaker, blacksmith, and veterinarian. However, it’s the one calling the shots that holds the most influence over the race, the one holding the lines: the driver.

Veteran Hall of Fame driver Dave Miller was the leading pilot at the Meadowlands during 2024 with 106 wins, and he got his 2025 season - which will be his last racing full time at the mile oval - off to rousing start Friday night by winning three times on the program, one of which came in the $18,000 featured conditioned event for trotters with Queen Of America S.

Garnet Barnsdale's analysis of the Monday 1/6 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Fraser Downs is excited to announce the conclusion of a historic 2024 racing season, highlighted by the highest wagering totals in over a decade.

Greg Reinhart's analysis of the Saturday 1/4 card at The Meadowlands.

Woodbine Mohawk Park is set to kick off its 2025 Standardbred season tonight (Jan. 2) with a new post time and a Pick-6 carryover.

Garnet Barnsdale's analysis of the Friday 1/3 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Greg Reinhart's analysis of the Friday 1/3 card at The Meadowlands.

Ken Walters' horses to watch list from Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Garnet Barnsdale's analysis of the Thursday 1/2 card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The 2024 holiday issue of DRF Harness Digest Newsletter has now been posted.