BIG M’S ‘GRAND’ HANDICAPPING CONTEST SET FOR FRIDAY NIGHT

Thursday, April 16, 2026

For the fourth time this year, patrons who have some handicapping game will go at it for $1,000 in cash prizes on Friday (April 17) night, when Leg 4 of the popular Meadowlands Monthly Handicapping Contest takes place.

It’s important to finish at or near the top of the leaderboard, as the four players with the highest bankrolls at the end of the night will win some cash (on a $500-$250-$150-$100 basis), but only the top two finishers will earn spots in the $10,000 invitation-only contest final, which takes place on Saturday, Dec. 12.

The first leg of the 2026 contest was on Saturday, Jan. 10, with Del Kern and Stefan Ferrara finishing 1-2 to advance into the year-end tussle.

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

Sean Loebs, who won the 2025 contest’s $10,000 final and the first prize of $5,000 that went with it, put himself in position to repeat by taking the top spot in Leg 3 on Saturday, March 21, with Ken Belhumer making a huge score in the 14^th and final race to get second.

2026 contest schedule:

• 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, but 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 6:35 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 $1,000 contest earn spots in the $10,000 tournament final on December 12 (22 total players).

To register for the competition, go here.

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

HONORING “THE RED MAN”: Head to the track Saturday (April 18) night for some great eats while honoring one of the greatest drivers to ever sit behind a horse, Carmine Abbatiello.

The incredible buffet will be provided by Carmine’s NYC.

Carmine’s is a family-style restaurant located in Manhattan that offers exceptional value to its guests through the many dishes of Southern Italian cuisine. Restaurateur Artie Cutler crafted Carmine’s with a singular vision; bringing his guests “wow-factor” sized portions and making any meal feel like an Italian-American wedding feast.

The event is a one-night celebration that brings Abbatiello’s favorites to The Meadowlands community. Cutler named the restaurant in honor of “The Red Man”, as he was a huge harness racing fan who spent many a night at both Yonkers and Roosevelt Raceways accompanied by his close friend, Big M Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Gural.

The buffet is a display of Carmine’s favorites:

• Caesar Salad and Carmine’s Salad
• Sausage and Peppers
• Sauteed veggies
• Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Chicken Parmesan
• Tiramisu and Cannoli

Dinner is $54.95 plus tax and gratuity ($70.13 total) and includes a live racing program.

For complete information, and to buy tickets, go here.

BECKWITH HURT: Brett Beckwith, the leading driver at The Meadowlands, was injured in a spill on Sunday (April 12) at Saratoga Casino Hotel and is going to be out for the foreseeable future.

His sister, Carly Beckwith, posted this message Tuesday on Facebook:

“He had surgery on his wrist (Monday) which was a success – as expected, he is in a lot of pain but he actually just got discharged from the hospital! The other good news is, he no longer needs any CT scans for the brain bleed! Of course, he still has to deal with his broken jaw so he will be heading back to the hospital on Friday to get that taken care of. He also has hearing loss in his left ear and will be seeing ENT as outpatient for that – we appreciate all the calls and texts more than you know & while I’m sure you all want to talk to Brett, pls just text him and refrain from calling for now; that would be best. Rest is the most important thing for him.”

WHO’S ON THE SHOW? This Friday and Saturday, Cheyenne Christman, Multimedia Content Specialist at the United States Trotting Association, will serve as co-host alongside host Dave Little on The Big M’s live simulcast presentation, which takes place nightly on the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set.

Christman will be making just her second appearance on the show, and hopes the second time is as marvelous as the first, as on February 6, she picked seven winners on the card.

The pregame show begins at 6 p.m.

Little will have a special guest on the pregame show Saturday night, as Eric Abbatiello, son of the late, great Carmine Abbatiello, will share stories about his dad. “The Red Man”, who was chosen by the New York City Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association as its Driver of the Half-Century, passed away on January 27 at the age of 89.

Ken Warkentin will be in his usual spot calling the races on Friday and Saturday.

Gary DiLeo will serve as paddock interviewer both nights as well as providing analysis and selections on the FanDuel Television (FDTV) feed on Friday.

Kiara Morgan will handle FDTV on Saturday.

A LOT OF LITTLES: Debbie Little, the associate editor and columnist from Harness Racing Update, was back serving as host on the Sam McKee Memorial Broadcast Set on Saturday (April 11) night, and she, as well as her husband, Big M TV regular Dave, treated their fans to a big night of cashing tickets.

Debbie selected four winners on top, starting her night in the first race with Woodmere Leah ($8.60 to win, $30.80 exacta). She then gave out Spirit Of Stlouis N ($2.80) in the sixth, Odds On Wildfire ($11.40) in the eighth and best bet Beat Cop ($7.20) in the 12^th.

The Littles made a score in the Late 50-cent Pick-4, as both used Beat Cop as a single, with Dave cashing in for $348.25 (having the $69.65 payoff five times) and Debbie (three times) for $208.95. Playing both of their tickets would have meant investing $76 and cashing in for $557.20, good for a profit of $481.20.

Finally, Dave’s “Little’s Late Double” rolled in, returning $164 for a $40 wager, resulting in a profit of $124.

THE SCHEDULE: Live harness racing at The Meadowlands will be conducted on a Friday-Saturday basis through Sept. 12 with a first-race post time of 6:35 p.m.

There are several exceptions to those rules.

On July 4, there is a stakes-packed program that includes two Graduate finals as well as eliminations for the Meadowlands Pace. Post time is 6 p.m.

The 101^st edition of the $1-million Hambletonian is on August 8. That card begins at noon.

Finally, there will be one program that takes place on a Thursday. That card is on August 6.

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)

CHECK OUT FACEBOOK AND X: Check out The Meadowlands on Facebook (@meadowlandsracetrack) for race replays, interviews, carryover updates, promotional videos and much more.

Everything Meadowlands is also 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).

LET’S PLAY TWO IN FANDUEL: Meadowlands regulars who love to plunk down a bet or two on professional 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.

On Thursday (April 16), there are only two evening Major League Baseball games, but savvy players know that big hits come when one plays parlays.

The first game has the Baltimore Orioles heading to Cleveland for a 6:10 p.m. game with the Guardians.

Cleveland is a -126 favorite in the game that has an under/over of 8 runs.

At 8:10 p.m., the Colorado Rockies are in Houston to face the Astros.

Houston is a -174 favorite in the game that has an under/over of 8½ runs.

Let’s say you are a money-line parlay player who thinks the winners will be the Orioles (+108) and the Rockies (+146). A $100 wager would return $411. So, as the great Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks used to say: “Let’s play two!”

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.