2023 FINAL STATS: 54 - 270 / $444.20 (-$95.80) 2023 BEST BETS: 12 - 20 / $37.70 (-$2.30) 2023 SPOT PLAYS: 4 - 20 / $138.20 (+$98.20) BEST BET - FEAST DAY (5th) SPOT PLAY - MV OK PALACIO BR (1st) Race 1 - MADC 1 Pace (4) MV OK PALACIO BR hasn't made much of an impact in his last couple of outings but was good in two tries prior to that and does get some post relief tonight. I also think it's sometimes a positive indicator when the trainer hops into the bike like Rob Harmon is doing here. (8) ARYIANA STAR faded when close to a quick pace a week ago but hit the board on 12-15 and 12-22 in the amateur ranks. (5) BETTORBYTHESEASIDE has been off since December 19 but was facing much better out of town and is adding Lasix. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2 - F&M TrackMaster 74 or Less as of 1-2-24 Pace (8) CELCIUS moves out from the pole to post eight but I think this is a softer class than the NW2's and she closed in 27 1/5 last time out to finish third. (5) WINDSUN MOJITO makes her second start for trainer Cory Stratton tonight and was third against $20,000 claimers at Yonkers to close out 2023. (1) BEAN SHOOTER has had some pace in the stretch in both of her appearances since coming down from Plainridge and starts from post one. [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!] Race 3 - NW3000L4/TrackMaster Rating 77 or Less as of 1-2-24/12500CLM Trot (1) KNICKKNACK HANOVER never got involved from post ten on 12-22 but had much better luck at the draw tonight and shows finishing third against much tougher NW5's at Harrah's Philadelphia in early November. (3) FIX-IT-UP faded last time out but had to work hard in the second quarter to get to the top. He makes his second start out of this barn here and has won at the Meadowlands before. (2) BROOKROAD MASTER didn't fire in that TrackMaster Series final on the 15th of December but put in a solid performance with a more aggressive approach prior to that. Race 4 - MADC 1 Pace (5) BANK SEA romped the last time he was in a MADC 1 tilt at the Meadowlands back on October 20, and I'll trust he's ready to go despite not having a start in just over a month. (8) ROCK ON LINE drew poorly for a third consecutive time but has been in the mix in three out of his last five outings and just needs some pace to chase to set up his closing kick. (7) MASK ON MASK OFF tallied impressively last week. He was well-bet in that tilt, and had the same status in his try before that, too. Race 5 - NW3000L4/TrackMaster Rating 77 or Less as of 1-2-24/12500CLM Trot (7) FEAST DAY is going to get another shot from me here as he gets to drop another notch on the class ladder and was right there in a close finish in a NW5000L4 event last week. (5) FASHION FOREVER rallied to score in a NW3000L4 event back in mid-November and has been racing at higher levels both at the Meadowlands and at Freehold since then. (4) ALLINDOTIME keeps racking up on-the-board finishes against NW3000L4 company, and I'll toss him in underneath again. Race 6 - F&M NW5000L4/TrackMaster Rating 80.5 or Less as of 1-2-24 Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool** (9) SWEDISH STARLET N drew the outside but has been racing at higher levels at the Meadowlands and at other venues, including when she was fourth as the favorite in a NW7500L4 contest at The Big M on December 1. (3) CHEVRONS BYPASS N hasn't made a pari-mutuel start since 12-1 but qualified well here last Saturday and was favored in a NW5000L4 test on the 1st of December. (5) CASH ROLL ended up with a difficult journey a week ago and saw her run of on-the-board results end. She moves inside a couple notches on the gate here, and I'll include. Race 7 - 7500CLM Pace (6) LACHIE MAGUIRE N was trapped on the inside last week and never got a chance to race. It looked like he had plenty of pace, too, so I'll give him another chance and hope the trip works out better. (1) SGT PAPA DADDY is riding a two-race win streak in this class. He has new connections again off a claim and is going from Cory Stratton's barn this week. (3) BLUEBERRY HEAVEN closed from eighth to fourth in the final quarter when last seen on 12-22 and has post relief off that mile here. Race 8 - NW5000L4/TrackMaster Rating 80 or Less as of 1-2-24 Trot (6) MUSKINGUM gets to drop again tonight and hopefully she's found the right level here. She rolled when handled aggressively at Monticello in early December, and hasn't had a trip similar to that one since. (4) BONTONI DEGATO S has disappointed as the favorite at both Yonkers and the Meadowlands in his two U.S. tries so far. He slides down from the NW7500L4 class and will probably get plenty of wagering support again. (3) SWAN CAPTAIN wound up with an impossible trip last Friday and tired. He moves in from post ten to the three-hole here, which should help greatly. Race 9 - Mares NW3000L4/TrackMaster Rating 77.5 or Less as of 1-2-24/12500CLM Trot (3) A BETTER GAME wound up with bad posts in this class on 11-17 and 12-15 and couldn't show her best. Last time out, she did close in 27 1/5 in a fast mile for this level, and with a good draw this time, perhaps that'll make a difference. (1) PHENOM SEELSTER moves in from the ten-hole to the pole position in her second try for trainer Per Engblom. She overcame the outside starting slot to grab a third on December 22. (8) SHES SO SWEET vaulted from ninth to second in the final quarter of her start on the 22nd of December and tallied an eye-catching ten times in 2023. Race 10 - NW7500L4/TrackMaster Rating 83 or Less as of 1-2-24 Trot **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool** (2) VELVET STYLE sometimes struggles with breaks, but he's been minding his manners at the Meadowlands and drops off a third-place finish in a NW10000L4 race a week ago. (7 ) TOP ME OFF didn't make much of an impact when last seen on 12-22 but he was off almost a month coming into that event. He's another second time starter out of the Engblom barn. (4) SOME CHAPTER ships in from the Midwest for trainer Anette Lorentzon and scored in a similar class at Hollywood Dayton in late September. Race 11 - TrackMaster Rating 74 or Less as of 1-2-24 Pace (5) CENTURY FURY faded after having to do the first-over work at Harrah's Philadelphia on Christmas Eve but scored in a higher-rated TrackMaster race than this at Freehold prior to that, overcoming post seven to boot. (3) ER VEGAS got sharp to close his 2023 campaign at Harrah's Philadelphia with a second on December 22 and then an easy win on 12-29. (7) FERDINAND A exits the amateur races but has been competitive in this class before when he's in the kind of form like he is right now. Race 12 - NW2000L4 Pace (9) GIVE US AWAVE A finds the bottom level here, and although he was unable to threaten, he did close out his mile in 27 1/5 against tougher rivals on 12-23. He also picked up one of his three 2023 victories at the Meadowlands. (7) NOB HILL FLASH drops out of $20,000 claiming company and did score at the Meadowlands on November 11. He was also hampered by the outside draw at Yonkers in his last try. (8) THE OPENER struggled when last seen on the 16th of December but his two efforts before that against NW2 foes would make him a contender in this race, I think. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 13 - Mares NW3000L4/TrackMaster Rating 77.5 or Less as of 1-2-24/12500CLM Pace (3) CASIE'S BELIEVER got parked out and tired in this class a week ago, but I think the aggressive try is a positive sign, and I'll give her another try as she gets a bit of post relief. (4) LYONS MIKI should have picked up some confidence with a victory down at Freehold last Saturday and trainer/driver Pat Lachance has been sending out some live ones lately. (5) PLZDONTLIETOME N stretches her legs out on the mile track here after performing well against $20,000 claiming company at Yonkers to wrap up 2023. Race 14 - TrackMaster Rating 71 or Less as of 1-2-24 Pace (5) A B COLLINS recently added Lasix, and while his form isn't super obvious, he takes a drop from the TrackMaster 74 level to the TrackMaster 71s, which is usually pretty big. (6) BRIAR'S DESIRE turned in an improved effort last time out to grab a third in this class, and I'll include. (2) MOUNT ROYAL was the runner-up in the same contest that BRIAR'S DESIRE exits and moves in from post six to the two-hole.