BIG M HANDICAPPING CONTEST RESUMES SATURDAY

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Leg 3 of The Meadowlands’ popular $1,000 Monthly Handicapping Contest takes place Saturday (March 21) with a pair of seats for the competition’s $10,000 year-end, invitation-only final up for grabs.

While the top four players at the end of the night will cash (on a $500-$250-$150-$100 basis), only the top two finishers will be invited to the big-money final, which takes place on Saturday, Dec. 12.

The first leg of the 2026 contest took place on Saturday, Jan. 10, with Del Kern and Stefan Ferrara finishing 1-2 to earn spots in the year-end tussle.

On Friday, Feb. 20, the Leg 2 “exacta” was Robert Glaser over Emile Issa.

2026 contest schedule:

• Leg 3 – Saturday, March 21
• Leg 4 – Friday, April 17
• Leg 5 – Saturday, May 23
• Leg 6 – Friday, June 12
• Leg 7 – Friday, July 24
• Leg 8 – Saturday, Aug. 22
• Leg 9 – Saturday, Sept. 5
• Leg 10 – Friday, Oct. 23
• Leg 11 – Saturday, Nov. 14
• Invitation-only $10,000 contest final:Saturday, Dec. 12

Each monthly contest will follow the same format:

• Contestants must bet a minimum of five Meadowlands races.
• No minimum or maximum bet per race.
• All wagers offered on The Meadowlands program are eligible for the contest.
• Contestants keep all pari-mutuel winnings.
• Unlimited entries per person.

There is no entry fee (a $100 live-money bankroll is required) for players, and the prize pool is guaranteed at $1,000, funded by The Meadowlands.

On the night of the contest, players must register/check-in at the Clubhouse Lobby by 6 p.m. A $100 betting card must be purchased to participate, as this is a live money/wagering contest.

The top two finishers from each contest earn spots in the $10,000 tournament “final” on December 12 (22 total players).

To register for the contest, go here.

Must be 18 or over to wager on racing. Gambling problem, dial 1-800-GAMBLER.

PK 8 CARRIES ON: The $1 PK 8 went unhit for a ninth consecutive offering last Saturday (March 14), upping the carryover to $94,833 for Friday night.

Winner’s odds for the Saturday sequence were 18-1, 4-1, 8-1, 4-1, 4-1, 7-2, 2-5 and 1-1. Those with six correct collected $1,497.30.

The $1 PK 8 is offered nightly on races three through 10.

BECKWITH IS BEST: Brett Beckwith, in search of a second straight Big M driving title, has put himself in good position to repeat. The 23-year-old pilot has 57 wins thus far in 2026 through the first 20 race cards on the calendar, putting him on a pace where he will make far more winner’s circle visits this year than last, when he walked down victory lane 146 times.

Newcomer Colin Kelly, who has had a big impact on the driver colony, is second with 34 wins. Mark Herschberger, whose 99 wins were second to Beckwith a year ago, is currently third with 26 victories. Joe Bongiorno won six races last weekend, putting him fourth in the standings with 20 victory lane jaunts, while the 2025 Dan Patch Rising Star Award winner Braxten Boyd rounds out the top five with 14 winners.

NO CAKEWALK FOR THE CHALK: The Meadowlands has long been popular with bettors because of how often favorites take it on the chin.

Currently, the post-time public choice at The Big M wins just 37.5 percent of the time, and that number stacks up well against some of the other popular harness racing signals offered across the country.

In terms of handle in North America, The Meadowlands is No. 1. The second most prolific track is Woodbine Mohawk Park, where favorites click at a rate of 42.5 percent. At Indiana’s Harrah’s Hoosier Park, the chalk also comes in 42.5 percent of the time, while at Ohio’s Northfield Park, the favorites score 45.7 percent of the time. Finally, at Yonkers Raceway, the public choice hits at 46.1 percent.

The facts are clear. If you want to play a track with big pools where the favorite is vulnerable, The Big M is the place for you.

SERIOUS QUALIFIER QUALITY: This is the time of year when Saturday qualifiers start bringing out some star power, and two stars hope to shine bright in the eighth and final qualifier on March 21.

Starting out from post three in the five-horse field for pacers is Coaches Corner, a lifetime earner of a hair under $1.5 million. The Per Engblom trainee, who won the $250,000 MGM Grand Prix final at Yonkers three months ago, will be guided by 2025 Dan Patch Driver of the Year Jason Bartlett.

The Noel Daley-trained Captain Albano, second in the MGM GP final as the 2-5 favorite, will depart from post four with driver Todd McCarthy. The lifetime earner of just over $2.1 million was a divisional champion in his first two years of racing before that streak ended in 2025. It’s not as if he had a bad year, as during last season, he won seven of 18 starts and banked just under $600,000.

Qualifiers get under way on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

THE SCHEDULE: Live racing at The Meadowlands will take place on a Friday-Saturday basis through March and April with a 6 p.m. post time.

GET YOUR FREE PROGRAMS: To show appreciation to its loyal fan base, The Meadowlands offers free program pages for every race of every race card on its website.

Go to playmeadowlands.com, then click on the “news” dropdown to get the past performances at absolutely no cost.

A GREAT WAY TO PLAY: Every night, The Meadowlands offers a marvelous menu of popular wagers that offer a low 15 percent takeout.

Here is the rundown of when these wagers will be offered on the 14-race programs that will take place this Friday and Saturday:

• Races 1-5:20-cent Pick-5
• Races 3-10:$1 PK 8
• Races 6-9:Early 50-cent Pick-4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
• Races 8-13:20-cent Pick-6
• Races 10-13:Late 50-cent Pick 4 ($50,000 guaranteed pool)
• Race 14:10-cent Pentafecta (Hi-5)

A SOCIAL SETTING: Everything Meadowlands is available by going on X. You can check in with the Big M team for early changes, racing information and staff selections by going to @themeadowlands or #playbigm.

Stay in touch with The Big M talent duo of Dave Little (@DaveLittleBigM) and Ken Warkentin (@kenvoiceover).

CATCH MARCH MADNESS: Head for The Lounge or Victory Sports Bar this Thursday (March 19), Friday (March 20) and Saturday (March 21) to catch all of the insanity that is the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament.

There will be great views of Victory’s giant screens – as well as the live harness racing action on Friday and Saturday – during what promises to be an exciting day and night at the track.

Seating begins at 11 a.m.

Of course, you can bet all of the games in the FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Meadowlands is the place to be to catch all of the basketball action as the tournament will take over the sports world for the next three weekends.

For reserved seating and complete information, go here.

HOOPS CRAZY IN FANDUEL: Meadowlands regulars who love to plunk down a bet or two on professional or college sports, know all they have to do is head for the FanDuel Sportsbook, the No. 1 betting facility of its type in North America.

It couldn’t be easier to do, as it’s located inside the grandstand at The Meadowlands. There are massive TV screens and self-service betting terminals, which enable fans to watch and wager in comfort while having some great food and drink.

Get ready for craziness! The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will offer 16 games on Thursday (March 19), and matchups featuring No. 4 seeds or higher include:

Michigan State (-16½) vs. North Dakota State at 4:05 p.m. in a game that has an under/over of 143½ points.

Arkansas (-15½) vs. Hawaii at 4:25 p.m. in a game that has an under/over of 160½ points.

Michigan (-30½) vs. Howard at 7:10 p.m. in a game that has an under/over of 151½ points.

Illinois (-24½) vs. Penn at 9:25 p.m. in a game that has an under/over of 150½ points.

Gonzaga (-21½) vs. Kennesaw State at 10 p.m. in a game that has an under/over of 154½ points.

Houston (-23½) vs. Idaho at 10:10 p.m. in a game that has an under/over of 137½ points.

Whatever the sport, for the latest odds, go here.

The FanDuel Sportsbook is open for business Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 1 a.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. – 1 a.m.; and Sunday 8 a.m. – midnight.