After two preliminaries contested for pacing four-year-olds, The Meadowlands will now play host to trotting four-year-olds as their split of the Graduate Series is set to kickoff on Saturday (May 22).

Division one of the Graduate pins two of last year’s top sophomore fillies against seven other rivals. Absattitudexpress and Hypnotic AM both compete in the first cut, with the Lucas Wallin trainee Absattitudexpress seeking her fourth straight win from post two and the Marcus Melander pupil Hypnotic AM starting from post five. Hypnotic AM will look to improve on her first start of the season, a fourth-place finish from off the pace in the first round of the Miss Versatility. Tim Tetrick is listed to drive Absattitudexpress while Hypnotic AM retains Brian Sears.

Ron Burke trainee Its Academic ships back east off a 1:52.3 victory in the $135,000 Charlie Hill Memorial. Prior to that start, the recently freelegged trotter rose to crush the top ranks of the conditioned sheet at The Meadowlands, winning the Preferred Trot on April 24 by three lengths in 1:51.3. Yannick Gingras has the drive from post four.

The second Graduate split also features coed competition, though that eight-horse field has just one mare — 2020 O'Brien Award winner Sorella. Last year’s Hambletonian Oaks champ made her debut in the first round of the Miss Versatility on May 8, finishing second by a nose to Absattitudexpress in 1:52.3. Her usual pilot Yannick Gingras has the reins from post five for trainer Nancy Takter.

However, Sorella is one of a choice of three horses for Gingras. He’s also listed on the Ontario Sires Stakes graduate Lovedbythemasses, who enters off a wire-to-wire win in 1:51 at the Preferred level over this track for trainer Jeff Cullipher. Trainer Per Engblom has also listed Gingras for his pupil Beads, whom Gingras qualified last week in a trotting record 1:50.2 mile.

A pair of trotters will try to rebound in the second split. To the inside, two-time Dan Patch Award winner Amigo Volo will attempt to move forward off his backtracking eighth-place in the Preferred Handicap a week ago. Dexter Dunn stays in the bike behind the Richard “Nifty” Norman trainee from post one. From post seven, driver Andy Miller will aim to keep the Julie Miller-trained Get Legs flat after he broke stride in the stretch last week, also in the Preferred Handicap.

In between the Graduate splits, free for all pacing mares compete in the opening leg of the inaugural Kissin In The Sand Series. Leg one gathers 12 mares for battle.

At the pylons, Blue Chip Matchmaker champ Machnhope tries for her fourth-consecutive win. The Noel Daley-trained six-year-old by Mach Three enters off a 1:49.1 victory in the Fillies & Mares Preferred, where she bested JK First Lady (post six) and Lyons Sentinel (post 10). Andrew McCarthy is listed to drive from the rail.

Breeders Crown winner Peaky Sneaky, the only horse to ever beat champion filly Party Girl Hill last season, competes from post eight as she makes her second start of the year. Yannick Gingras is listed to drive the Nancy Takter trainee while also being listed on Ron Burke pupil Snobbytown, who starts from post two. The opening-leg field also includes Alexa Skye (post three), who failed as the 6-5 favourite in the Blue Chip Matchmaker Final but returns off a 1:51.1 rebound win in the Filly & Mare Open at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Racine Bell (post nine), an up-and-comer from the New York circuit who finished second in the Mares Preferred last week to Soho Burning Love A, also competes.

Saturday’s card at The Meadowlands features 14 races, with the evening’s action slated to start at 6:20 p.m. (EDT).