Venerate topped a trio of Maple Leaf Trot contenders in a tune up for next week's $600,000 (est.) final on Thursday morning (Aug. 24) at The Meadowlands.

Closing out Thursday's qualifying session for trainer Marcus Melander, Venerate (Brian Sears) set fractions of :28.1, :56.1 and 1:24 en route to a 1:51.1 victory, with his Ron Burke-trained rival Its Academic (David Miller) following in the pocket 1-1/2 lengths behind and Sermon (Jason Bartlett) completing the top three seven lengths back for trainer Per Engblom.

Those three trotters have been entered in the Maple Leaf Trot, to be contested at Woodbine Mohawk Park, along Alrajah One IT, Asteroid, Fashion Frenzie, Logan Park and Rattle My Cage. 

Venerate, a five-year-old millionaire son of Love You, will be returning to the scene of his 2020 Mohawk Million victory after winning his season's debut in the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial on May 20 and finishing second in the Crawford Farms Open Trot on July 1 and John Cashman Memorial on Aug. 5. Its Academic is riding a five-race win streak and leads Venerate 2-1 in their three match-ups this season. 

Hambletonian Maturity and Dr. John R. Steele Memorial champion M Ms Dream (David Miller) won her qualifier in 1:53.2 for the Burke stable, leading all the way through fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:26.4 before sprinting home in :26.3. The millionaire Swan For All mare finished 1-1/2 lengths in front of the Chris Ryder-trained stakes mare Eternal Lee (Andrew McCarthy), with three-year-old filly Purple Lord (Scott Zeron) third.

The Tony Alagna-trained millionaire pacer I Did It Myway (Scott Zeron) won his qualifier in 1:51.1 off a pocket trip over three-year-old stakes winners Handlelikeaporsche (Dexter Dunn) and Voukefalas (Jordan Stratton). The four-year-old son of Captaintreacherous sat behind fractions of :27.4, :56.1 and 1:24.3 before using :26.2 final quarter speed to launch 1-1/4 lengths clear.

Undefeated two-year-old pacing colt Newsroom (David Miller) was back in action on Thursday morning with a winning qualifying effort for trainer Joe Holloway.  The Always B Miki colt used his wicked late speed, closing out the 1:52.1 mile with a :26.3 final frame, to finish 8-1/2 lengths ahead of foes that were bothered by a breaker. Newsroom is three-for-three to start his career with a mark of 1:50.1, taken last time out on July 28 in a leg of the Kindergarten Series at The Meadowlands.

New Jersey Sire Stakes two-year-old trotting filly champ Buy A Round (Andrew McCarthy) sprinted home from fourth in 26 seconds to complete a 1:57 winning qualifying mile that opened the 13-race session. Noel Daley trains the Walner filly, who bested the pocket-popping Chaparmbro (Trond Smedshammer) by half a length, with pacesetter Wibs Warrior (Andy Miller) back in third.

To view Thursday's complete qualifying results, click here.