Meadows Monday Memo

HARNESS RACING WEEK’S SCHEDULE

We are now in our Spring racing schedule, with action four days per week – Wednesday through Saturday – at 12:45 PM.  The next change in the schedule will be Kentucky Derby Day, as The Meadows traditionally races at 11:30 AM on Triple Crown days.

FORMER REGULAR MAKES LOCAL RETURN

Eric Goodell, a regular among The Meadows’ driving colony for several seasons, will make his first local appearance in quite some time on Wednesday, April 17.  Goodell qualified the 3YO pacing filly Sarah Said in Hawkinsville, Georgia on March 30 for trainer Garry Martin, and is scheduled to drive her from post 7 in the third race on Wednesday at The Meadows.  It is the filly’s first start of the season.

POST POSITION STATS          

A check of the post position statistics through the first three months of the racing season shows some interesting numbers.  Post 5, traditionally the top spot yearly at The Meadows, is once again producing the most winners.  However, the 19.6% winning clip from post 5 is higher than in other recent years.  Post 8 and post 9 are both equal in winning percentage so far this year, at 6.7%.  The biggest surprise is the lack of success that horses are having from post 6.  Despite being just one spot away from the “best” starting spot, horses leaving from post 6 are winning at just a 7.3% rate in 2024.  Horses with post 7 are having much more success, winning just over 10% of the time.

TOP 10 MOVES

Two trainers moved into the top-10 in wins this past week.  Lester Mullet and Rich Perfido now have 12 wins each, moving them into a tie for 9^th with trainer Jason Shaw.  Mullet’s horses have won 16% of their races (12-for-75), while Perfido has started 100 horses with earnings of more than $116,000.

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