BONGIORNO’S BIG M SWEET 16 A SLAM DUNK

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Driver Joe Bongiorno has been as hot as a raging fire in a windstorm of late at The Meadowlands, as the 32-year-old pilot, who was named the track’s Driver of the Week on March 20 for the six winners he had the weekend prior, did far better the week that followed, taking 10 trips down victory lane last weekend (March 20-21) with back-to-back five-winner nights to cop a second straight DOTW trophy, which will be announced officially on the Friday (March 27) night pregame show.

Over the four racecards, Bongiorno won 16 races from just 38 starts, for a gawdy win percentage of 42.1.

“You kind of look at a card and see what chances you think you have going into the night,” said Bongiorno of last week’s 10-bagger. “I definitely thought I had a few chances going into each night, but that doesn’t always work out as planned. When things start rolling early, you kind of feel like you are doing everything right putting horses in the right spots, and that kind of carried over through the whole weekend.

“I mean, that was probably one of the best weekends I’ve ever had in my driving career. I’ve been focusing on trying to trip horses out and put them in the right spots. When you get on a roll, you feel like you can’t do anything wrong.”

The numbers back Bongiorno’s words up.

At the current Big M meeting, Bongiorno is 30-for-122, and that win percentage of 24.6 is the driver colony’s highest among the 12 pilots with at least seven winners. He’s currently tied for third in the standings with Mark Herschberger, and trails only Brett Beckwith (60 winners) and Colin Kelly (34).

“Right now, thankfully, everything is good in my life,” said Bongiorno, who has put his battle with depression in the rear-view mirror. “I’m enjoying (harness racing) again for the first time in a long time. Getting to drive for Ronnie (Burke) through the winter has been fun, and my own stable has been racing well. I’ve picked up a lot for smaller stables and had a super amount of luck for them the last few weeks.”

Bongiorno is a young man, but spoke the words of a wise, old one when referencing the most important thing in his life.

“My son, Parker, is 18 months old, and there is nothing better in the world than being with him,” said Bongiorno. “You could win 20 races over a weekend and that would still be very minor compared to being a father.”

Bongiorno said Parker “is the light of our world” for him and his fiancé, Nicole DiCostanzo.

Yes, Bongiorno loves his son, and driving horses, but with all of that on his plate, he still finds time to be a serious force when it comes to training as well.

His numbers as a conditioner are also prolific. He’s 12-for-54 (22.2 percent), and with 35 on-the-board finishes, his horses finish in the top three 64.8 percent of the time. He sits second in The Meadowlands standings behind only Per Engblom, who has 24 victories.

Bongiorno currently has 55 horses in his barn, and is hoping to get 10 more by the time summer begins.

The driver knows that also being a trainer will help in the coming months after the return of the bigger-name drivers to the colony. Dexter Dunn, Yannick Gingras, Todd McCarthy, Scott Zeron and Jason Bartlett will all be making their Big M 2026 debuts on Saturday. Andy McCarthy is also on the card after making his return a week ago.

“I have to create my own power at times, having my own horses to race is very important,” said Bongiorno. “It puts me on the sheet and gives me an opportunity to pick up other drives on the card. Right now, I like being able to do both.”

Bongiorno has a plan, and the plan will no doubt please his Big M fans.

“I want to stay at the Meadowlands on Friday and Saturday, for sure,” said Bongiorno. “That’s where I’m happy.”

DERBY FEVERS ARE RISING: This Saturday (March 28), The Big M’s expansive simulcast area better have a doctor on call, as patrons will undoubtedly come down with a serious case of Kentucky Derby fever.

Three major Derby prep races take place Saturday for horses looking to grab a spot in the starting gate for the May 2^nd, 152^nd edition of the “Run for the Roses” at Churchill Downs.

The trifecta of races that will be on the schedule are (all times listed are EDT):

• The $1.5-million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. Renegade is the 3-2 morning-line favorite for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Post time at Oaklawn is 12:35 p.m. Post time for the Arkansas Derby, which is race 13 of 14 on the card, is 7:48 p.m.
• The $1-million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. This race is unmatched when it comes to producing Kentucky Derby winners. From 1953 through 2023, horses who competed in the Florida Derby gave racing fans the Derby winner on 25 occasions. The first race at Gulfstream is at 11:30 a.m., with The Florida Derby, which is race 14 of 14 on the program, getting underway at 6:42 p.m. Chief Wallabee is the 2-1 early choice for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado.
• The $1-million UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates. Post time for the UAE Derby is 9:35 a.m. Pyromancer is the likely favorite, with Six Speed and Salloom also expected to take plenty of action at the windows.

A $12-MILLION PURSE: As if three key Kentucky Derby preps weren’t enough.

Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young of Japan and U.S. hopeful Magnitude are two of the star attractions for Saturday’s $12-million Dubai World Cup at Meydan. Meydaan and Hit Show are also expected to get plenty of support from the bettors.

Post time for the Dubai World Cup is 12:45 p.m. EDT.

CARRYOVER REPORT: The stage was set for the $1 PK 8 to get hit Saturday (March 21) night, but for an 11^th consecutive offering, the wager did not yield a winning ticket.

Heading into the 10^th race – which is the payoff leg – it seemed like a handful of players had set themselves up to collect a handsome payoff, since the total pool was over $100,000. There were $3 of live tickets with even-money favorite Bettors Donttell and $2 worth of action on 3-2 second choice Typhoon Banner N, who was in search of a third straight score.

But after 6-1 chance Sun Of A Show stormed home to take the featured event, only tickets with seven correct selections were redeemable. The payout was $371.10.

Winner’s odds for the sequence were anything but outrageous at 4-1, 4-5, 1-1, 4-1, 7-5, 5-2, 1-5 and 6-1.

When racing resumes Friday, the carryover will be $108,452.

The 20-cent Pick-6 had a carryover of $4,444 that motivated punters to pour $38,242 of “new money” into the pot Saturday. After a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 5-2, 1-5, 6-1, 9-2, 6-5 and 1-2, those with winning tickets cashed in for $942.84.

The $1 PK 8 is offered nightly on races three through 10 while the 20-cent Pick-6 is available on dashes eight through 13.

LOEBS A GRAND WINNER: Sean Loebs, who won the 2025 Meadowlands Handicapping Contest final and the first prize of $5,000 that went with it, has put himself in a position to repeat.

Leg 3 of the 2026 edition of the competition took place Saturday (March 21) night, and Loebs made an early score by hitting the 20-cent Pick-5 (which paid $294.48) twice. He easily held on to the lead from there, finishing with a bankroll of $1,170 to take the $1,000 monthly challenge. Players start the night with $100 to play with.

Ken Belhumer made a huge score in the 14^th and final race by hitting the Pick-3 ten times and the late double 25 times. In addition, he had $20 on the nose of the 7-2 winner as well as having a $4 ticket on the exacta to finish the competition with $928. Thus, while taking home their contest earnings, Loebs and Belhumer also took down the cash prizes of $500 and $250, respectively, as well.

By finishing 1-2, Loebs and Belhumer have qualified for the year-end, invitation-only test, where just 22 entries (based on two for the 11 preliminary legs) will be eligible to go for the $10,000 in cash prizes.

The big-money final takes place on Dec. 12, while the fourth $1,000 leg is slated for April 17.

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).

ROOT FOR THE JOHNNIES: For the first time since 1999, St. John’s has made it into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and if they are to advance to the quarterfinals, they will have to take down one of the most storied programs in the history of the sport.

On Friday (March 27) night, St. John’s will take on tournament No. 1 seed Duke in a 7:10 p.m. tip-off.

Don’t bother staying home to watch the game. Come and enjoy every slam dunk, three-pointer and blocked shot at The Meadowlands in total comfort while having some great food and drink.

Of course, you can make a bet on the game in the FanDuel Sportsbook.

For 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 March Mania! The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will offer four games on both Thursday (March 26) and Friday (March 27) in the Sweet 16.

Then, on Saturday (March 28) and Sunday (March 29) the winners from Thursday and Friday will battle for spots in the semifinals, which take place on Saturday, April 4.

The Championship Game is on Monday, April 6.

Thursday’s games:

• At 7:10 p.m., Purdue is -7½ over Texas in a game that has an under/over of 147½ points.
• At 7:30 p.m., Nebraska is -1½ over Iowa in a game that has an under/over of 131½.
• At 9:45 p.m., Arizona is -7½ over Arkansas in a game that has an under/over of 164½.
• Finally, at 10:05 p.m., Houston is -2½ over Illinois in a game that has an under/over of 139½.

Friday’s games:

• At 7:10 p.m., Duke is -6½ over St. John’s in a game that has an under/over of 141½.
• At 7:35 p.m., Michigan is -9½ over Alabama in a game that has an under/over of 173½.
• At 9:45 p.m., UConn is -1½ over Michigan State in a game that has an under/over of 134½.
• Finally, at 10:10 p.m., Iowa St. is -3½ over Tennessee in a game that has an under/over of 139½ 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.