Hollywood Casino at the Meadows has just a few more race cards to finish out the 2024 season. Racing will be contested on Thursday, December 19, Friday, December 20, Monday, December 23, Friday, December 27, and Monday, December 30 before the calendar flips to 2025. Not to worry, however, as 2025 will bring with it 170 live racing days at the Meadows. The first week of the year will see racing on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (January 2, 3, and 4) before settling into a Wednesday-Friday schedule through the end of March. April will see the return of four-day racing weeks from Wednesday-Saturday with the usual third week of April break built in.
May through the first two weeks of September sees mostly four-day race weeks with a few exceptions. This period will also see the return of the popular Friday night racing cards. After the usual dark week during the Little Brown Jug, racing will finish 2025 with Wednesday-Friday three-day racing weeks with a few exceptions around Thanksgiving and the end of December. Most cards will start at 12:45 pm with exceptions for Friday night racing (5:10 pm) and Triple Crown days (11:30 am). The biggest race of the year, the Adios Pace, will take place on Saturday, July 26 with an 11:45 am first post time. Visit www.meadowsharnessracing.com to view the entire 2025 Racing Schedule.
The end of the 2024 racing season at the Meadows will see two perennial leaders honored yet again: Dave Palone and Ron Burke. Like 2023, 2024 will see Palone, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., and Aaron Merriman finish 1-2-3 in the leading drivers standings. Including stats through the Wednesday, December 18 card, Palone stands at 367 winners, Wrenn Jr. has 335, and Merriman has 248. USHWA Rising Star Award Finalist Hunter Myers checks into the standings in fourth with 178 wins. The training title battle will see Burke with a commanding lead when the final counting is complete. Currently, Burke sits at 189 wins with Brandon Presto a distant second with 115 wins. Third and fourth place honors go to Dirk Simpson and Tim Twaddle who have 94 and 88 victories, respectively.
This week’s racing will wrap up on Friday with a strong 13-race card that’s highlighted by the 9th race Open Handicap Pace. The race features a very competitive six-horse field and a case could be made for pretty much anyone in the race. However, I’ll side with #3 SURREAL IDEAL to rebound in this spot. He saw his big win streak in Opens across three different tracks end last time out, but he did have a less than ideal trip to finish third. SURREAL IDEAL draws better in this spot and will look to work out a better trip as a result. Underneath, let’s try #4 CROOKED SMILE, who comes in from Indiana with some solid Open form and backed it up with a strong second last week after working hard early and off of a few week break. Best of luck in your plays this Friday at the Meadows and Happy Holidays!
