Meadows Monday memo

SUMMER SCHEDULE WRAPS UP THIS WEEK

Racing at The Meadows this week will take place on Wednesday and Thursday at 12:45pm, Friday evening at 5:10pm and Saturday at 12:45pm.  At the conclusion of the card on Saturday, the track will go on a brief hiatus for regularly scheduled track maintenance.  Live racing will return on Wednesday, September 24, when we will shift to our fall schedule with action on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons at 12:45pm.

KEYSTONE CLASSICS FEATURED SATURDAY

The stake schedule for 2025 is winding down, with only the Keystone Classic events remaining.  This Saturday, September 13, The Meadows will host the Keystone Classics for sophomores.  Three-year-old trotters and pacers will be in action, with posts to be drawn on Wednesday.  The Keystone Classics for 2-year-olds will come up later in the month.

PALONE EXTENDS ADVANTAGE

Driver Dave Palone had a strong summer at The Meadows, and going int the upcoming week off, has extended his lead in wins, taken the lead in winning percentage, and narrowed the gap in driver rating with Ronnie Wrenn Jr.  Palone enters the week with 299 local wins, 22 ahead of  Wrenn, who held the lead in wins throughout the spring.  Until recently, Wrenn also had the lead in winning percentage, but Palone has now won 26.3% of his drives, with Wrenn at 25.9%.  In UDRS rating, Wrenn is still holding a narrow advantage, .411 to Palone’s .409.   Wrenn is tops in purses with $2.95 million, while Palone is just under $2.6 million.  Palone has appeared in 65 more races than Wrenn, 1136-1071.

TRAINER STANDINGS UPDATE

Trainer Ron Burke leads the pack among trainers with 176 victories, more than double the total of his nearest competitor.  Brandon Presto is in second with 83 wins.  The two trainers, however, are nearly tied in winning percentage.  Burke has won 23.8% of his starts, with Presto winning at a 23.7% clip.  Justin Pirillo, who is in third in wins (77), still tops the regular trainer list with a 34.4% winning percentage.  Rounding out the top five in wins are Dirk Simpson (71) and Tim Twaddle (67).

by Jeff Zidek, for The Meadows, for The Meadows