The Meadowlands Racetrack, known as the Big M, is the center of North American harness racing. It sits in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford and races trotters and pacers on Friday and Saturday nights for most of the year. In the fall it hands the track to a short thoroughbred turf meet run by Monmouth Park.
FanDuel opened a sportsbook there in July 2018, a few weeks after sports betting became legal.
Ownership and history
The track ran its first harness race on September 1, 1976, and added thoroughbreds the following year. It was built and run by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority until December 2011, when the state privatized it and Jeff Gural took over. Gural’s company, New Meadowlands Racetrack, built a new grandstand that opened in November 2013. The old grandstand closed that year and was torn down in 2022.
Gural wants a casino at the track. In April 2026 he bought out Hard Rock International’s 50% stake in the proposed Meadowlands casino. A constitutional amendment that would allow casinos at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park missed the 2026 ballot, so 2027 is the earliest voters could decide. Until then, casino gaming in New Jersey is limited to Atlantic City, and the track has no online casino license of its own.
The track
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main track | 1-mile oval, 90 feet wide |
| Turf course | 7 furlongs, thoroughbreds only |
| Harness dates | 102 planned for 2026, from January 2 to late December |
| Race nights | Friday and Saturday, 6:20 p.m. first post |
| Address | 1 Racetrack Drive, East Rutherford, NJ 07073 |
The 2026 calendar added four Sunday afternoon cards in January and February. Harness racing pauses from mid-September to mid-October while thoroughbreds race on the turf course under the lights. The state awarded nine thoroughbred dates for the fall 2026 meet.
Big races
The Meadowlands runs more than $18.5 million in harness stakes, from late April through November. The Championship Meet starts in May.
The Meadowlands Pace
The Pace is the track’s own signature race, for three-year-old pacers. The 50th running, worth $810,000, was held July 11, 2026, and won by Brandon Blvd for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Andrew Harris in 1:48.1. Pace night also carries the Hambletonian Maturity for four-year-old trotters.
The Hambletonian
The Hambletonian is the most important race for three-year-old trotters and the first leg of the trotting Triple Crown. The Meadowlands has hosted it since 1981, on the first or second Saturday in August.
The 101st running, on August 8, 2026, was a record. Apex beat favorite Big Ranger by a nose in 1:49.2, the fastest Hambletonian ever, for Dexter Dunn and trainer Marcus Melander. The card took $6.16 million in all-source wagering, the best of 2026 for any track.
It was also the last Hambletonian at the Meadowlands for now. The track didn’t use its renewal option in 2025, and in August 2026 the Hambletonian Society awarded the race to Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Indiana from 2027.
Other stakes
The Hambletonian Oaks and the Cane Pace, the first leg of the pacing Triple Crown, are both run on the Hambletonian Day card. The Kindergarten Classic finals for two-year-olds are run on October 31.
FanDuel Sportsbook
The FanDuel Sportsbook opened at the track on July 14, 2018, through a partnership with Paddy Power Betfair. It sits in the Victory Sports Bar area, with The Lounge next door for food and a view of the screens.
It does far more business than the state’s other track sportsbook, at Monmouth Park.
The Meadowlands’ online sports betting license is used by FanDuel Sportsbook, so the FanDuel app traces back to East Rutherford. FanDuel also runs an online casino in New Jersey; see our FanDuel Casino review.
You must be 21 to bet on sports.
Betting on horses
Horse bettors need to be 18. On track you can bet win, place and show, plus exactas, trifectas, superfectas, daily doubles and multi-race Pick wagers. Simulcast racing from other tracks runs alongside the live card.
Online, New Jersey players bet through 4NJBets, the state’s TVG-run app, or NYRA Bets, which launched in New Jersey in July 2026. Our horse betting guide compares them.
Food and drink
The track’s dining spaces are Pink, Trotters, The Lounge, the Victory Sports Bar, Victory Terrace and a café.
Getting there
- By car: take Exit 16W on the New Jersey Turnpike, near Routes 3 and 120.
- By bus: NJ Transit routes 160, from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and 703 serve the area.
- By train: the Meadowlands Rail Line stops at the sports complex only for major events.
For the rest of the state’s casinos and tracks, see our Atlantic City casinos and NJ racetracks guide, or read about Monmouth Park.
Must be 21+ for sports betting and 18+ for horse racing. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
FAQ
What kind of racing is at the Meadowlands?
Mostly harness racing, with about 100 nights a year. Monmouth Park also runs a short thoroughbred turf meet there each fall.
Is the Hambletonian still at the Meadowlands?
The 2026 Hambletonian was run there on August 8. From 2027 the race moves to Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Indiana.
Does the Meadowlands have a sportsbook?
Yes. The FanDuel Sportsbook opened there in July 2018, and the FanDuel app runs under the track’s online license.
Can I play casino games at the Meadowlands?
No. Casino gaming in New Jersey is limited to Atlantic City. A proposal to allow a casino at the track could go to voters in 2027 at the earliest.
When are the race nights?
Friday and Saturday nights, with first post at 6:20 p.m. The 2026 calendar also added four Sunday afternoon cards in January and February.