A number of notable performers and divisonal champions were in action during the stacked qualifying session on Saturday (April 30) at The Meadowlands.
Sophomore stakes winner Ahundreddollarbill made his four-year-old debut a week ago and finished second to Its Academic in that qualifier, but he found the wire first on Saturday morning. After sitting the pocket behind Wild Oats (Dexter Dunn) through fractions of :28.3, :56.4 and 1:24.4, driver Andrew McCarthy had a rather simple path to victory with Ahundreddollarbill after Wild Oats drifted out into two path turning for home. Thus, Ahundreddollarbill just had to trot straight and strong home and he did just that. Closing in :28, Ahundreddollarbill hit the wire a length and a half the best in a time of 1:53.
Ahundreddollarbill (Chapter Seven - Swinging Royalty) is trained by Tony Alagna for Crawford Farms Racing of Syracuse and James Crawford of Erieville, N.Y. The NYSS graduate sports a 10-2-1 summary from 19 lifetime appearances, $767,647 in earnings and a mark of 1:52 taken at Woodbine Mohawk Park in his Canadian Trotting Classic score.
Ranked by TROT Magazine as the #2 contender for the 2022 North America Cup, Pebble Beach made his first sophomore appearance of the year against a group of three-year-old pacers. Sitting fifth and mid-pack for driver Todd McCarthy at the half, Pebble Beach made a first-over bid to challenge pacesetter Birthday (David Miller) but was forced three-wide around the final turn as Early Action (Brian Sears) popped the pocket before the 1:25.2 third station. Pebble Beach motored around the far turn, took the lead turning for home and then held off the pylon-skimming Market Based (Dunn) by a nose in 1:53.
Pebble Beach (Downbytheseaside - Santa Rosa) hit the board in all 11 of his rookie season appearances, sporting a record of 7-2-2 while accruing $361,250 in purses for trainer Noel Daley and owners Patricia Stable of Massapequa, N.Y., Joe Sbrocco of Brecksville, Oh., Country Club Acres Inc. of Findlay, Oh. and Laexpressfoderadeovolente of Chesterfield, N.J.
Pretender looked more like a contender on Saturday, as the sophomore trotting colt was a 1:54 winner during his morning test. Yannick Gingras positioned the son of Walner - Maven in the pocket behind Majestic J (Todd McCarthy) through panels of :29, :56.4 and 1:25.2 before angling to the outside in the stretch and trotting home in :28.2 to win by two in a life's best time of 1:54.
Nancy Takter trains three-time winner Pretender for John Fielding of Toronto, Ont., Virginia's Caviart Farms, Joyce A McClelland of Zanesville, Ohio and Herb Liverman, now of Miami Beach, Fl.
The 2021 U.S. Horse of the Year, Test Of Faith made her second appearance of 2022 in qualifying action. Driver David Miller positioned her in fourth during her morning test, then commenced an outer-flow bid heading into the far turn. Receiving some cover from pocket-popping Hot Mess Express (Andrew McCarthy) heading to the stretch, Test Of Faith angled off that rival's helmet in the lane and kicked home in :27.2 to win by nearly two lengths in 1:52.3.
Test Of Faith (Art Major - Cannae Cammie) boasts 22 wins and three runner-up efforts from 25 lifetime starts with more than $1.56 million in earnings. Brett Pelling trains the ultra-talented and extremely consistent performer for Melvin Segal of Charlotte, N.C, Kentuckiana Racing Stable and Eddie Gran of Lexington, Ky.
The stablemate to Test Of Faith, Treacherous Dragon played the spoiler in the season's debut of 2021 Dan Patch Award winner Niki Hill. It looked like Niki Hill would hit the wire first against her three rivals after fractions of :30.2, :59.2 and 1:27.2, but Treacherous Dragon had other plans. Driver Tim Tetrick gave her the green light in mis-stretch and she responded with a wicked brush through a :26.3 final quarter to pick off Niki Hill by a half-length. The time of the mile was 1:54.2.
Hot Lead Farm LLC of Allentown, N.J. holds the papers on Treacherous Dragon (Captaintreacherous - My Little Dragon), a $260,000 yearling from the 2020 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale that banked nearly $300,000 during a 10-start rookie season with nine (4-4-1) top-three finishes.
Three-year-old trotting filly Valentina Blu also played the spoiler on Saturday, stealing the thunder from the debuting Dan Patch and O'Brien Award winner Venerable. After cutting out fractions of :29.2, :57.4 and 1:27, Valentina Blu kicked home in :28 for driver Andy McCarthy to hold off Mon Cheval (Gingras) by a nose in a 1:55 mile. Dreamonhigh (Joe Bongiorno) was a length and a half back in third, just ahead of an unstressed and unhurried Venerable (David Miller).
Valentina Blu (Chapter Seven - Corazon Blue Chip) took a mark of 1:58.1h in a division of the New York Sire Stakes at Yonkers Raceway and hit the board in nine of her 13 two-year-old starts. Tony Alagna trains for Crawford Farms Racing of Syracuse, N.Y.
Not very often does the fastest closing quarter on any given card of North America harness racing come courtesy a trotter, but don't tell Atlanta that. The triple millionaire made her return and 2022 debut with a vengeance, closing in a sizzling :26 over a solid group of older trotting mares to capture her first test of the year in a time of 1:56.1, two lengths better than 2021 Dan Patch winner Bella Bellini (Dunn). When Dovescry (Miller) set — for this group — pedestrian fractions of :31.1, 1:00.4 and 1:29.3 but couldn't hold off the backfield and finished third.
As usual, Yannick Gingras was at the controls for accomplished Atlanta, who is trained by Ron Burke for Crawford Farms Racing of Syracuse, Brad Grant of Milton, Ont. and Howard Taylor of Philadelphia, Penn.
Rockyroad Hanover continued to sharpen for his four-year-old pari-mutuel debut. The speedy stakes winner sat protected in the pocket for driver Dexter Dunn as Muscle Factory A (Andy McCarthy) carved out panels of :28.1, :56 and 1:24. Dunn angled out of the pocket in the stretch and it was smooth sailing for Rockroad Hanover after that. A :26.3 fourth quarter completed a 1:50.4 mile, charted a length and a quarter better than the pacesetter.
Now owned by M3 Racing Stable of Ohio, Rockyroad Hanover (Captaintreacherous - Romantic Moment) is trained by Tony Alagna. The 2021 Cane and Progress winner sports a mark of 1:48.1 with earnings in excess of $600,000.