Many of the sport’s biggest and brightest stars made their way to the Meadowlands Racetrack Saturday evening (July 15) to compete in a long list of rich stakes events, and Trot Insider has all the details.

The main attraction on the night was the $738,550 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, which saw Huntsville fend off late pressure from Downbytheseaside to capture the illustrious test for three-year-olds in 1:47.4. To read the recap and view the replay, click here.

Here's what else took place on Saturday's stakes-filled program:

$201,000 Golden Girls

Nike Franco N found herself in the role of the spoiler when she hauled down even-money favourite Lady Shadow en route to capturing rich event for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Joann Looney-King.

Lady Shadow left hard from Post 10 and found herself parked past the quarter pole in :26.1 before eventually working her way to the top. She took over from Nike Franco N and proceeded to sail along through intervals of :54.2, 1:22 and 1:48.1, but that last eighth of the mile proved to be too much for the public’s top choice. Nike Franco N popped out late and got up to win by three-quarters of a length over Lady Shadow in 2:01.2. Call Me Queen Be was third.

“We knew she was capable of this and when I saw she was getting a trip behind that great Lady Shadow, I said, ‘This is our night’,” said Joann Looney-King, who trains Nike Franco N for owner Richard Poillucci.

“Richard has been buying us some of the top pacers from Down Under," she added. "He picks his own horses out, he sends them to us. We simply go with the wonderful horses he buys for us.”

It was the richest victory to date for the seven-year-old daughter of Mcardle-Nearea Franco who is owned by Richard Poillucci of North Easton, MA. It was the 26th lifetime tally for the career winner of $589,523.

$427,400 William Haughton Memorial

Mach It So dug down deep for driver David Miller to capture his second William Haughton Memorial against some of the game’s grittiest warriors.

Miller got away fourth with the Jeff Bamond, Jr. trainee while Bettors Edge sprinted to the top and put up the opening quarter clocked in :25.4. Miller popped to the outside with Mach It So in the backstretch, and they quickly took command of the tempo. Mach It So blazed through remaining fractions of :54.1, 1:20.4 and 1:47.1 before holding off a surging Boston Red Rocks in 2:00.4. Bettors Edge was third.

“With the extra eighth of a mile, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” said driver Miller. “When the gate folded, it looked like there were about 10 of them (in a 12-horse field) leaving. By the time we got to the first turn, it had settled down and I was sitting fourth.

“We were actually going a pretty moderate pace, so I went ahead and moved him to see what would happen," Miller added. "The horse first up just kind of rode there and we got our own way. He fought really hard through the stretch. I think Boston Red Rocks got up on him, but this horse fought back and put his head in front. That (1:47.1) is a big mile for him. He was still pacing hard at the wire. I give the horse a lot of credit. He’s a quality horse. He’s been around for a long time and he’s won this race before.”

Bamond Racing LLC of Brick, NJ owns the seven-year-old son of Mach Three-Beach Dancer. The gelding is a 37-time winner with purse earnings of $2,078,281.

$458,750 Hambletonian Maturity

Marion Marauder was tenacious once again en route to posting a 2:05.2 winning effort in the Hambletonian Maturity for the team of driver Scott Zeron and trainer Paula Wellwood.

The four-year-old son of Muscle Hill-Spellbound Hanover, fresh off of his win in the Graduate Series Final, got away fourth and watched Celebrity Eventsy and Warrawee Roo take turns on the lead through fractions of :27.1, :56.1, 1:24.1 and 1:51.3. Marion Marauder’s first-over bid was successful as he chipped away and wore down Warrawee Roo. He then fended off the late-driving Cufflink Hanover for the win. Warrawee Roo held on to finish third.

“He’s a grinder, I’m not worried about him getting weak at the end, that’s for sure,” said driver Scott Zeron. “The way it unfolds, a mile and an eighth, a lot of people can do different things out there. Right now, he’s at the best part of his game. It’s hard to believe after the year he had last year. I don’t mind coming first up, he loves looking at them, just going right on by them. This year, he’s matured to pull away. (His desire to race) is even more as a four-year-old. It makes my life so much easier.”

Jean Wellwood and Devin Keeling own last year’s Trotting Triple Crown winner who is now 3-for-4 this season. The 14-time winner watched his overall bankroll swell to $2,282,243 with the victory.

$30,000 Miss Versatility Series - 1st division

Hannelore Hanover toyed with the five foes she faced for driver Yannick Gingras, who guided the Ron Burke pupil to a track record performance of 1:50.3.

Side Bet Hanover shot the early lead while Hannelore Hanover settled into an early three-hole. Gingras stepped on the gas pedal in the backstretch, however, and in a matter of strides Hannelore Hanover muscled her way to the front. She zipped through middle panels of :55 and 1:23.1 before roaring home in :27.2. She cruised to the easy win over Caprice Hill and OHO Diamond.

“She’s definitely sounder (than last year) so it makes it easier,” said Yannick Gingras. “At times last year she was a little sore, but now she’s really sound. That was a really good mile tonight and now she’s ready to rock. (Racing against the male trotters) is definitely on the horizon. We’ve got them on the radar for the big purses and also against the girls, but we’re going to face them soon.”

It was the fourth win of the season in five trips to the track for the five-year-old daughter of Swan For All-High Sobriety, who races for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino and J And T Silva Stables LLC. The 30-time winner pushed her lifetime earnings past $1.7 million with the win.

$30,000 Miss Versatility Series – 2nd division

Emoticon Hanover established a new track record for four-year-old trotting mares and she matched Hannelore Hanover’s world record for four-year-old trotting mares when she front-stepped to a 1:51 triumph for trainer Luc Blais and driver Dan Dube.

The daughter of Kadabra-Emmylou Who, who was sent off at odds of 7-2, rolled to the lead and whacked out panels of :28.3, :56.3 and 1:24.2 before rocketing home in :26.3 to defeat Pasithea Face S and race favourite Broadway Donna.

“She went around the track nice and easy,” said driver Dan Dube. “I just let her trot at the end and she did it very easy. I saw (Broadway Donna) coming and my mare responded really good."

Determination of Montreal, QC owns the 12-time winner who improved this year’s record to 1-3-2 from seven trips to the track. The Ontario Sires Stakes graduate has put away close to $900,000 in career earnings.

$165,700 Mistletoe Shalee

Agent Q was a dominant winner in a track record-equalling clocking of 1:48.4 despite being asked to do the first-over work by driver David Miller.

Brazuca shot to the top and served up first-half fractions of :26.4 and :54.3 before coming under attack from Miller and the 1-5 favourite. Agent Q was relentless on the outside, and she pressed Brazuca to the three-quarter pole in 1:21.4 before putting away that foe and drawing clear to win over Idyllic Beach and Awash.

Chris Ryder trains the three-year-old daughter of Western Terror-Teenage Paige for owners Martin Scharf, Rochetti Cassar Racing and Robert Muscara. The win was the filly’s fifth of the season and the eighth of her career. She’s stashed away $871,080.

$125,250 Del Miller Memorial - 1st division

Ariana G produced a 1:51.4 score for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter, and in doing so inched perilously close to the $1 million mark in career earnings.

Gingras got away third with the multi-talented daughter of Muscle Hill-Cantab Hall, while Magic Presto pushed to the lead and supplied a tepid first quarter clocked in :28.2. Ariana G made her move to the lead in the backstretch, and after getting away with middle splits of :55.4 and 1:24.2 she kept on trucking and produced a comfortable win over Magic Presto and Dream Baby Dream.

“She was excellent,” said co-owner Marvin Katz. “I spoke to (winning driver) Yannick (Gingras) and he didn’t even pop the ear plugs. She was strong all the way to the wire and we are just thrilled with her.”

Marvin Katz of Toronto and Al Libfeld of Pickering bred and own the multiple award-winning lass who has racked up 13 wins from 16 lifetime starts. Her lifetime earnings now stand at $999,370.

$125,250 Del Miller Memorial – 2nd division

Overdraft Volo turned a two-hole trip into a 7-1 upset for the husband/wife duo of driver Andy Miller and trainer Julie Miller.

Miller tripped out the three-year-old daughter of Yankee Glide-Bank Of Newport behind the tempo-setting Feed Your Head. That longshot leader carved out fractions of :27, :56 and 1:24, but she couldn’t fend off the late-driving Overdraft Volo in the closing strides. Overdraft Volo halted the teletimer in a career-best clocking of 1:52.2 with victory over Feed Your Head and Checkmate Time.

“I got away from the gate good and slid out (of the pocket) halfway down the lane and she did the rest,” said driver Andy Miller.

Pinske Stables and Kentuckiana Racing Stable share ownership on the six-time winner who now owns a 3-0-1 record from four trips to the track this season. The lion’s share of the loot lifted her lifetime earnings to $269,990.

$159,000 Stanley Dancer Memorial – 1st division

Walner turned in scary-looking performance and set a stakes record in the process for the tandem of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Linda Toscano.

Tetrick wasted no time grabbing the lead with the heavily-favoured son of Chapter Seven-Random Destiny, and the sophomore sailed through fractions of :28, :55.1 and 1:23.1 before rocketing home in :27.1 to win in 1:50.2 over Devious Man and Bills Man.

“He’s an amazing animal, that’s all I can say. He really does (love what he’s doing). He thinks it’s fun. Timmy said he was really good and he just gets sharper every week,” said trainer Linda Toscano. “(The Hambletonian) is a horse race. I’m going to fly under the radar as best I can and take care of the horse and hope he takes care of us.

“Absolutely no racing (prior to the August 5 Hambletonian)," stated Toscano when asked about his short term schedule. "We will probably have a real easy week for him this week and then take it week to week. I train him like a Thoroughbred. He seems to get ready and responds off very little work and that’s the way we are going to keep it.”

Walner, who is now 2-for-2 to begin his three-year-old season, is a nine-time winner from 10 trips to the track. Kenneth Jacobs of Baldwinsville, KY owns the career winner of $570,037.

$161,500 Stanley Dancer Memorial – 2nd division

Long Tom used a :27-second closing panel to capture the final stake event on the 13-race card for driver Tim Tetrick, who finished the evening with five trips to victory lane.

Tetrick tripped out the Marcus Melander trainee in the two-hole all the way while What The Hill supplied the field with fractions of :28.1, :57 and 1:25.2. Long Tom found clearance in the lane and stormed home to win by three-quarters of a length over What The Hill in 1:52.4. Longshot Meteoric was third.

Sent off as the 1-2 choice in the nine-horse affair, Long Tom improved this year’s record to 4-1-0 from five trips to the track for owner AMG Stable Oy of Vantaa, Finland. The seven-time winner watched his bankroll balloon to $339,200 with the win.

Attendance for the card was 10,111 and the all-source wagering totaled $3,823,629, which was less than last year's $4.2 million. On-track betting was $557,018, up almost $50,000 from 2016.

(With files from Meadowlands)