More often than not, Anders Ström’s Courant Inc. is the sole owner of the yearlings he buys. But when it came to two-year-old male trotter Maryland, Ström decided the more, the merrier.

And after watching the Marcus Melander-trained Maryland romp to victory in the $575,000 William Wellwood Memorial last month at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the colt’s ownership group has ample reason to feel good as Maryland heads to Friday’s $390,000 USD Peter Haughton Memorial for freshman male trotters at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

Courant Inc. purchased Maryland, then named Charlie K Hanover, for $475,000 at last fall’s Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. The colt’s price was fourth highest for the sale, and second among male trotters. Ström then had Peter Weisberg’s PCW Racing, the Melander family’s Holly Lane Stud East, Steve Stewart and Robin Thorn join him in ownership.

“With Maryland, Anders was really high on him and wanted to have some of his closest friends involved with the horse,” said Weisberg. “So, he made an exception to his rule of usually owning them by himself to involve some of his good friends.”

Maryland is a son of Chapter Seven and the first foal out of the stakes-winning mare Crucial. His family includes Venerable, who was a Dan Patch and O’Brien awards winner as a two-year-old in 2021. Ström and Courant’s Swedish-based trainer/racing manager Sabine Kagebrandt were unable to attend the Lexington sale, but worked together with Melander to identify horses, which also resulted in buying Meshuggah, who won the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship for two-year-old male trotters earlier this month.

“He’s beautifully gaited and such a smart horse,” Melander said about Maryland, who was originally named after Charlie Keller but renamed Maryland to honour the location of the Keller family’s Yankeeland Farms while reflecting Ström’s alphabetical system for naming his horses, which for foals of 2022 was M. “He’s got the right attitude; he wants to do it. He just behaves like a good horse. He’s done most things right so far in his career.”

Maryland has hit the board in four of five races this season, winning two and earning $311,743. He opened his career with a 1:56.4 victory, with a :26.2 last quarter, in the first round of the Kindergarten Classic Series at The Meadowlands. After going off stride on a sloppy track in his next start, he finished second in the third leg of the Kindergarten.

He then was off to Canada for the Wellwood, where he was fourth-placed-third in his elimination before winning the final from post nine by 4-3/4 lengths over even-money favourite Nordic Catcher S in 1:53.4. Maryland’s time equalled the second fastest in the history of the event.

On Friday, he will head to the Peter Haughton Memorial as the 2-1 morning line favourite. He will start from post eight with driver Dexter Dunn.

“He can leave like a rocket if he has to,” said Weisberg, who noted two-time Haughton winner Mickey McNichol is a big fan of the horse. “He drew outside [in the Wellwood] and before you could count to three, he was on top. He beat some pretty good horses and Dexter never even pulled the ear plugs or lifted the lines. He looks like he’s a little bit of a scary horse. He’s got to continue to do it, but he’s a wonderful horse, a talented horse.

“The way Marcus has trained the horse has been, in my opinion, exceptional. Each start he’s brought this horse down a notch. You don’t see it like that all the time. I can’t say enough about Marcus and his team, including caretaker Amalie Ødegård.”

Melander won the 2022 Haughton with Courant-owned Kilmister. Courant also won the race in 2014 with Centurion ATM in partnership with Knutsson Trotting.

Father TJ, coming off a third-place finish in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final, is the 3-1 second choice in the Haughton. The son of Father Patrick-Dip Me Hanover will leave from post five with Tyler Buter driving for trainer Jeff Cullipher.

As has been the case in recent years, the Haughton and companion Jim Doherty Memorial for two-year-old female trotters will offer “Win and You’re In” status for the 2024 Breeders Crown. The official winner of each race, if Breeders Crown eligible as of June 1, will advance directly to their respective final, with no starting fee, and the opportunity to draw for post one through five.

Melander will send out two fillies in the $305,000 USD Doherty. Royal Mission, who won the New York Sire Stakes championship last week, will start from post nine with driver Scott Zeron and is 5-1 on the morning line. The daughter of Chapter Seven-Swinging Royalty has hit the board in six of seven races for owner Jeff Snyder, winning three and banking $345,580.

Italian-bred Goodgirl Bi, Melander’s other horse, will leave from post one with Mattias Melander in the sulky. She has hit the board in three of four races, including a win in a division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes. The daughter of Greenshoe-Princess Grif, owned by Courant, was sixth from post eight in the final at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, where she was beaten only three-quarters of a length for third after being involved in a :26.3 opening quarter.

“Royal Mission has been racing good,” said Melander, who won the 2019 Doherty with Courant’s Hypnotic AM. “She drew a little bad, so we’ll need a little luck, but she’s a nice filly. She can leave, she can race from behind, she’s handled every size track. She likes her work and is easy to drive.

“'Goodgirl' could have been third instead of being sixth in the PA final; she just got a little tired the last couple of steps there. She’s been really good all year. She drew better now, so we’ll see if she can pick up something from there. There are some nice horses in there, but she’s OK herself.”

New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Champagne Problems is the 2-1 morning line favourite in the Doherty. The daughter of Tactical Landing-Miss Caviar will leave from post seven with Dunn driving for trainer Nancy Takter.

Racing begins at 6:15 p.m. (EDT) at Hoosier Park. For a free program for Hoosier's Friday card, click here.

(USTA)