Meadows Monday Memo

HARNESS RACING THIS WEEK

We are currently in our 4-day per week racing schedule for the remainder of the Spring and Summer.  At this time, we are racing Wednesday through Saturday at 12:45pm.  We will switch to Friday evening racing in late May.

WINNING WEEK FOR WILDER

Driver Mike Wilder took the winter off from driving for the second straight year and returned from Florida in late March.  He has resumed his regular driving schedule, and last week had one of the best stretches of his career.  From Wednesday through Saturday, Wilder drove in 39 races, posting 12 wins (30.7%), and jumped his UDRS rating from .286 to .329.  His wins included the top pacing event of the week (Open Pace, Wild Wild Western) and one win each day in a leg of the Spring Late Closer series events.

SERIES FINALS SET

Speaking of the Spring Late Closers, they will wrap up this week with one final set for each afternoon.  On Wednesday, the Ruby Cook Memorial Series for 3YO pacing fillies will be the feature race, with Altmeyer-Wilder Stables’ Southwind Bourbon (Sweet Lou) listed as the morning line favorite for driver Mike Wilder.  Thursday’s feature will be the final of the Margaret Provost Memorial trotting series for fillies, and once again is’ an Altmeyer-Wilder stable trainee that will likely take the bulk of the play, as Angelpedia (Cantab Hall) won her series leg last week in 1:55.3.

MARTIN GOES 2-FOR-2

Trainer Garry Martin has had a lot of success at The Meadows in past years but hasn’t made the trek from Ohio often the last couple of seasons.  Last week, he entered two horses, and both turned in career-best performances. On Friday, the 4YO Go Long (Long Tom) made his first start of the year after missing nearly 12 months of racing.  Wilbur Yoder guided him to an impressive 1:54.4 performance.  On Saturday, Global Girl (Global Republic S), a modest $6,500 yearling purchase that finished second in the OH Sire Stake Championship last year, started her season with a 1:56.3 victory.  Don Irvine Jr, who drove the filly all of last season, was in the bike for his first Meadows appearance of the year.

COUNTDOWN TO 60 YEARS

The Meadows has started its countdown to the track’s 60^th anniversary.  Delvin Miller opened the track for racing on June 28, 1963, and we will celebrate the event on Friday evening, June 30, 2023.  Look for more updates as we get closer to that date.

If you would like additional information at any point, please reach out to track announcer Jeff Zidek (jeff.zidek@pennentertainment.com)

by Jeff Zidek, for The Meadows