Harris brothers connect to capture Big M feature

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Trainer Andrew Harris combined with his twin brother, driver J, to win the $16,000 featured conditioned pace for 2- and 3-year-olds on the second and final Thursday night of harness racing at The Meadowlands on the 2024 calendar.

Miki Ray, a 3-year-old gelded son of Always B Miki-Victoria Semalu, came from off the pace to win in a snappy 1:50.3 on a night with a real-feel temperature of 22 degrees as the 3-5 favorite.

“I had a big horse who is a grinder,” said J. “It worked out well. I didn’t have to do much work after I popped off the helmet [in front of me]. I didn’t want to use him too hard, too early.”

“It’s a lot warmer here,” said J, who is from Ontario. “The track here is amazing and my brother had that horse ready to go.”

MIKI RAY REPLAY

It was the first-ever win for J at The Big M, who said he may be showing up more often at the mile oval after the New Year.

POTENT PAYOUTS: For the second consecutive week, big payouts were the norm on the Thursday card.

The evening got off to a good start when 35-1 shot Allindotime got up by a nose in the first race, keying a $532.60 payoff in the Daily Double and a return of $7,936.10 in the 20-cent Pick-5.

The good times kept on rolling in the sixth race when winning Early 50-cent Pick-4 tickets were exchanged for $2,696.60, that return bolstered by the Stacy Chiodo-trained and driven I Am The Fire, who scored at 19-1 in the payoff leg.

The 20-cent Pick-6, aided by a carryover of $4,038, saw a little more than $16,000 in “new money” poured into the pot, and after a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 7-2, 19-1, 5-2, 3-5, 3-5 and 4-5, with Chiodo’s horse fueling the big-payout fire once again, winning tickets were greeted with a return of $2,548.80.

A LITTLE MORE: Johnathan Ahle led the drivers with a pair of wins on the card. … All-source betting on the 10-race program totaled $1,033,392. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Dave Little, for The Meadowlands