Meadowlands gears up to host Breeders’ Crown, bring harness spotlight to NJ

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Anyone that follows horse racing in the slightest will know that the Breeders’ Cup is the marquee event of the season at the beginning of November.

This year, it will be held in Del Mar, California on November 5 and 6.

But on the other side of the continent a week earlier, the spotlight will be on New Jersey, and the Big M to be exact, for the biggest event on the harness racing calendar.

The Breeders Crown will take place at the Meadowlands one weekend before the meet at Del Mar, on October 29 and 30. The event returns to the Garden State for the first time since 2016, after four years away from the Big M.

With the main races held the day before Halloween, there should be a fantastic atmosphere at the track. Bettors will be hoping that they get more treats than tricks with their tickets, which could prove to have some big prices as the best of the best converge on the Garden State for the event.

The two-day event will feature 12 races, with purses totaling over $6 million and even more in betting numbers, reports Horse.Bet. 

“The Meadowlands is synonymous with championship racing,” Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey and New Meadowlands Managing Owner and CEO Jeff Gural told the Hambletonian website last year.

“All of us at the Meadowlands Racetrack are excited to host the Breeders Crown again in 2021,” COO and General Manager Jason Settlemoir said. “The Meadowlands has a long and rich tradition of hosting many of our sports top races so it’s fitting for the Crowns to come back to the Garden State. I would like to thank Mr. Gural, the Hambletonian Society and the SBOA of NJ for entrusting the team at the Meadowlands to showcase our sport’s best.” 

Joe Wisniewski (who goes by Joe Wiz) is a staple on the New Jersey horse racing scene. He has a show on ESPN New York 98.7 called the Feinline, and will soon be on the air in Philadelphia as well. The Wiz, who is a huge harness racing bettor, is very excited for the event at the end of October.

“You have to check out that Breeders Crown,” Wiz said. “That is the Super Bowl of harness racing. It is a two-day event and is one of the special weekends on the calendar, especially for New Jersey. For those people who follow harness racing, it is the pinnacle. 

“We already got to see the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands, and now we get to see the Breeders’ Crown taking place at the Meadowlands, which is the best harness track in the world.”

So who is going to win the race?

Well, if you are looking to bet on the favorite, don’t: the last two years, all of the horses that were up for the Horse of the Year fell in the big race. That is great for bettors, though, as there could be all kinds of longshots and prices on the board after the race. So remember, before you head out to your Halloween parties Saturday, October 30, get some bets on the Breeders Crown: you might be able to buy some of the big candy for the whole neighborhood.

If you or anyone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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