The Meadowlands Racetrack is ready to host its signature pacing event for glamour boys on Saturday night (July 15) with the $668,000 Meadowlands Pace – the marquee event on an evening with nearly $2.5 million in stakes purses on offer.
In the Meadowlands Pace, six finalists from the 2023 Pepsi North America Cup return for a rematch including the runner-up in Canada’s richest classic, Confederate. Brett Pelling trains the son of Sweet Lou who paced a career-best 1:47.3 to win his elimination and secure a protected post draw for the final, where he will start from post five. Tim Tetrick sticks with the colt closing in on a million dollars in earnings.
Nancy Takter trains the other elimination winner, the developing Sweet Lou colt Cannibal, as part of a three-pronged charge going into the final. Cannibal, starting from post four, acquires Andy McCarthy in the sulky since regular driver Scott Zeron sticks with Governor’s Cup winner and elimination runner-up El Rey from post seven. Also in Takter’s firing line are third-place finisher Christchurch with Yannick Gingras from post three and Save America with Matt Kakaley from post 10.
Other Cup finalists in play in the Meadowlands Pace include Fulton from post one after finishing fifth in his elimination, Voukefalas from post two after finishing second in his elimination and Ammo from post nine after finishing fourth in his elimination. Cup consolation runner-up Hungry Angel Boy will compete from post six, then the team of Shane & Lauren Tritton pair with Its A Me Mario from post eight after the colt finished third in his elimination.
A pair of divisions for the $210,500 Del Miller Memorial begins the stakes action on Saturday. Division one, carded as Race 3, has last year’s Jim Doherty Memorial winner Instagram Model starting alongside New York New York Mile champ Secret Volo from the outermost spots in the field of seven. Andy McCarthy will steer Instagram Model for trainer Annie Stoebe from post seven and Brian Sears will pilot Secret Volo from post six for conditioner Marcus Melander.
Bond aims to extend her nine-race win streak in the second Del Miller Memorial split, where she will start from post four in rein to trainer Ake Svanstedt. Her competition includes Kayleigh S, the full-sister to last year’s Hambletonian runner-up Joviality S starting from post three; Kentucky Sire Stakes champ Mambacita from post two; and Ohio Sires Stakes star Rose Run Yolanda from post six in the compact field of seven.
The $410,250 Hambletonian Maturity pins nine four-year-olds at a distance of 1-1/8 miles including a trio of mares tackling the males. The top ranked horse in North America harness racing, Jiggy Jog S lands post three off her 1:50.3 annihilation in the $230,000 Graduate Series and maintains Dexter Dunn against a pair of mares in Domenico Cecere trainee Raised By Lindy from post six and Burke pupil M Ms Dream from post nine. Last year’s Hambletonian winner Cool Papa Bell will compete from the pylon post off a third-place finish in the Graduate Series final.
Canadian sensation and dual divisional winner Sylvia Hanover will make her U.S. debut in the $169,000 Mistletoe Shalee. Bob McClure is slated to drive the Always B Miki filly for Team Steacy from post five in an 11-horse contest. Chris Ryder pupil Twin B Joe Fresh will try for revenge from her third-place finish in the Fan Hanover from post two after scoring in a 1:50.3 tune-up at Vernon Downs in a division of New York Sires Stakes.
Nick Gallucci trainee Silver Label will try to build off her 14-1 upset in the $142,260 Perfect Sting Stakes when she starts from post one in the $159,000 Dorothy Haughton Memorial. Scott Zeron sticks with the four-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight entering from a 1:49 victory, beating Roses Are Red champ Grace Hill, who will start from post two in rein to Doug McNair. The field also includes five other millionaire mares in Racine Bell from post four, Boudoir Hanover from post six, Amazing Dream N from post eight, Treacherous Dragon from post nine and Test Of Faith from the outside post 10.
Hambletonian hopefuls will compete in two divisions for the $279,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial. Division one aligns 10 horses including 2022 Mohawk Million winner Oh Well from post seven, last season’s award-winning freshmen in Volume Eight from post nine and O'Brien Award winner Gaines Hanover from post five in his stateside debut, and Marcus Melander’s developing Muscle Hill colt Air Power from post two.
Division two of the Stanley Dancer will go as the last stakes event on the card. Pennsylvania phenom Once In A Lifetime exits the Keystone state and will compete from post five for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim Campbell against a group that includes Winners Bet from the rail, Celebrity Bambino from post six and Peter Haughton Memorial winner Kilmister from post eight.
A total of 11 free-for-all pacers will battle in the $444,000 William Haughton Memorial, the race where Bulldog Hanover set the all-time fastest mile in harness racing last year. That dash is carded following the 2023 Meadowlands Pace and pins harness racing’s fastest against one another; eight of the 11 have lifetime marks faster than 1:48 and four own world records. Among the speedsters are 1:47.4 winner Mad Max Hanover from post one, 1:46.3f winner Ruthless Hanover from post two, 1:47.2 winner Abuckabett Hanover from post three, 1:46 winner Allywag Hanover from post four, 1:47.1 winner Tattoo Artist from post five, 1:47.3 winner I Did It Myway from post six, 1:47.3h winner This Is The Plan from post eight and 1:47.1 winner Charlie May from post nine.
Saturday’s card will have 14 races go postward. Racing gets underway at The Meadowlands at 6:20 p.m. (EDT).