2023 STATS: 49 - 242 / $380.80 (-$103.20) BEST BETS: 12 - 18 / $37.70 (+$1.70) SPOT PLAYS: 2 - 18 / $113.20 (+$77.20) BEST BET - DA DELIGHTFUL (11th) SPOT PLAY - COACHELLABOUND N (10th) Happy New Year from all of us at DRF Harness! Race 1 - 15000CLM Pace (8) NIGHT WATCHMAN has been off since late July but was facing much tougher at Pocono before going on the bench, and the winner of his qualifier on 12-9 has won two straight races. (7) THE BEST TYME EVER ships in from Yonkers in solid form but has had a case of second-itis. I'll slot him in that spot again here. (6) POSH ONTHE BEACH A has hit the board in both of his local starts this month but is hard to back for the top spot given he has just three victories over the last two seasons. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2 - NW3000L4 Pace (3) MACHIATTO A landed two tough posts over at Yonkers this month but drew well here and makes his third start out of Nifty Norman's barn. (6) CALIBER continues to work his way down the class ladder here and was third against NW7500L4 company as recently as late November. (8) DANCE IT OUT has a similar profile to CALIBER as he exits a NW5000L4 tilt and has shown the ability to be competitive against better horses in his lines. [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!] Race 3 - NW2/20000LT Pace (2) OAKWOOD ARDAN IR tallied in his U.S. debut on December 16, and I'll swing with him again tonight for a high-percentage stable. (9) THE GOOD DOCTOR starts from the outside post but jogged to an easy victory in this class a week ago. He was second to my top choice when they met on 12-16. (7) MIDNIGHT THUNDER is riding a three-race streak of on-the-board finishes, including a third-place result in the tilt taken by THE GOOD DOCTOR last Saturday. Race 4 - Winners of 2 but not more than 4 Ext. PM Races LT/5YO & Under 50000CLM Pace (6) BARRIER was a good second to a heavy favorite in this class on 12-8 and is on Lasix for the first time tonight. (3) SOUTHWIND SAMBUCCA has been in the top three in all of his appearances this month and drew inside again here. (1) SAULSBROOK RAPTOR is way up in class tonight but has won impressively two times in-a-row for a barn that has been sending out live horse after live horse. Race 5 - 20000-30000CLM HCP Pace (5) BICORNE HANOVER scored a couple of weeks ago and gets post relief tonight after having to start from the ten-hole last Saturday. (4) HEREITIZ has been sharp since the claim by trainer Edwin Quevedo last month and gets to move inside on the gate this time. (10) GENTLEMANJIM II IE drew the outside but has been performing well out of town for a high-percentage stable. Race 6 - 40000-50000CLM HCP Pace **$50,000 Guranteed Pick 4 Pool** (7) REVOLVER N won impressively last Saturday, backing up his rallying second-place finish prior to that. It looks like the recent addition of Lasix has been a big help for him. (8) BOILING OAR was assigned the outside post in this tilt but dead-heated for a 1:49 4/5 victory a week ago and is the one of Travis Alexander's two horses in here that I prefer. (3) LOORRIM LAKE A prevailed two starts back at Yonkers and then fired home in 26 4/5 last week to advance from ninth to fourth in the final panel. He gets to move inside on the gate tonight. Race 7 - NW10000L4/TrackMaster Rating 86.5 or Less as of 12-26-23 Pace (8) STATE SENATOR wrapped up his season over at Yonkers with a second and then a win and debuts for trainer Per Engblom off a claim here. (2) MONTANA STORM N hasn't made much of an impact in two tries in this class, but he has outside draws in both of those tests. He starts from post two tonight and is usable. (1) CAVIART CAMDEN steps up from the NW7500L4 level but has hit the board in both of his appearances since returning to action and was game from first-over in his third-place finish a week ago. Race 8 - NW7500L4 Pace (1) SLING SHOCK tired on the front-end last week, but he had to work hard to get to the top. He drops again and can hopefully have a smoother trip tonight. (6) SARANAC BLUE CHIP held on to finish third after battling on the lead at Yonkers most recently. That was in a NW10000L5 race, so this should be a bit of class relief. (3) NAZARE is stepping way up out of a NW2000L4 race, but he did win that night, and he debuts for trainer Ron Burke here. Race 9 - NW14000L4/TrackMaster Rating 89.5 or Less as of 12-26-23 Pace I didn't like to see (5) RED RIGHT HAND make a break last week, but I'm going to hope he's at his best tonight as this is a winnable race for him if he brings his "A" game. (2) JILLIBY DYNAMITE A has been facing some tough rivals at the Meadowlands and Dover this month and had outside posts to boot. He drew well tonight, and I'll look for him to perform better. (10) SPORT SECRET moves out on the gate here but closed in 26 3/5 to finish in a dead-heat for third in a race won by the red-hot Soaring Now a week ago. Race 10 - F&M Winners Over 10000L4 Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool** (4) COACHELLABOUND N makes her third start back after some time on the bench and was well-bet in the Open at Yonkers most recently where she wound up fourth after dueling on the front-end. She's had a very strong campaign for owner/trainer Ricky Bucci, and I'll give her a shot. (5) ALEXA SKYE hasn't been at the Meadowlands in a while but has had a good season in the Midwest for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and recently won in 1:49 and change at The Meadows. (9) QUEEN OF SUCCESS is two-for-two since coming back off the qualifier earlier this month and overcame post nine two back, so I don't think the poor draw is a big issue. Race 11 - NW5000L4 Pace (7) DA DELIGHTFUL slides down from the NW7500L4 class and switches to a catch driver (Andy Miller) for the first time since returning to action in November. (3) ON ACCIDENT finished second in this class a couple of times in his lines and is exiting the NW7500L4 level. (9) WHOLE LOTTA LOU disappointed as the 1-2 favorite in a NW7500L5 race last Saturday. He drops to the NW5000L4's here and could offer a better price. Race 12 - TrackMaster Rating 80 or Less as of 12-26-23 Pace (4) URIEL BLUE CHIP miscued at Yonkers last time out but gets to stretch out on the mile track here and did have success on the bigger oval at Woodbine Mohawk Park earlier this year. He recently joined Per Engblom's barn. (1) ITHACA HANOVER showed his upset win on 12-15 was no accident as he closed well to finish third in this class last Saturday. (7) WAR OF WILL tallied in his debut for this high-percentage barn a week ago and I'll include him here. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 13 - NW2000L4 Pace (7) MCCLINCHIE N finds the bottom level tonight in his third start back after a layoff and gets another chance to team up with driver Johnathan Ahle. (4) TANKALICIOUS doesn't have great form, but this is by far the softest spot he's been in lately. I'll toss him in underneath. (1) BOILER MAKER kicked out a 26 and change final quarter in finishing fourth in a claiming handicap tilt most recently. He was third in this class on November 11. Race 14 - TrackMaster Rating 77 or Less as of 12-26-23 Pace (4) UNIQUE BEACH picked up a couple of spots in the final quarter to finish fourth in this class a week ago and makes his second start on Lasix tonight. (1) BEACH CHIEF was the runner-up from post nine at this level last Saturday and moves inside on the gate to the pole position. (7) KNOX THE FOX exits amateur events where he picked up checks in all of his tries and gets to partner with a catch driver this time.