A number of top contenders likely to factor in the FanDuel Championships and Fall Final Four at The Meadowlands next weekend faced the starting gate for tighteners and tune-ups in qualifying action at Saturday, Nov. 23.

2023 Breeders Crown winner Coach Stefanos (shown above with driver James MacDonald) closed the session victorious, winning in his first appearance since that thrilling Breeders Crown victory four weeks ago. Driver Tim Tetrick asked Coach Stefanos to advance first up from third on Its In The Stars (Dexter Dunn) just before the 1:26.1 third station, and those two pacers sprinted to the wire as a tandem for the majority of the Meadowlands' stretch. At the wire, Coach Stefanos was three quarters of a length clear of that rival as his :26.4 final quarter provided a 1:53.1 winning decision.

Erv Miller trains Coach Stefanos, a four-year-old Tellitlikeitis gelding out of Watch N Be Watched. He sports $1,439,757 in career earnings for owners Kenneth Duffy, D&M Trading II LLC and John Stefanos, and will look to add to that bankroll in the FanDuel Open Pace next weekend.

Spring Inhis Step A lived up to his name in the fifth qualifier, winning after a wire-to-wire effort in 1:53.2. The seven-year-old Somebeachsomewhere - Summa Of Dreams gelding was nearly three lengths better than the top ranked horse in North American harness racing this season, Twin B Joe Fresh. Dunn only asked her in the final eighth of the mile as she tunes up for the FanDuel Open Mare Pace on Nov. 30.

Jeff Cullipher trains 19-time winner Spring Inhis Step A for Pollack Racing LLC.

The fastest qualifier of the session came courtesy two-year-old Papis Pistol. The 2024 Kindergarten Classic winner shot to the front for driver Andy Miller, paced through panels of :29, :57.4 and 1:25.2 before closing his performance with a :27.1 final quarter for the 1:52.3 mile over Higher Ground (Scott Zeron) and Fusion (Todd McCarthy)

Sam DePinto trains Papis Pistol (Papi Rob Hanover-Bang Bang) for Shannon DePinto, Chris Arvanitis and Anthony Perretti. His form will attract attention next Saturday as the $214,473 earner looks to close out his season with a Governor's Cup championship.

Fellow Kindergarten winner Champagne Problems also tuned up for her next stakes test — the Goldsmith Maid — with an on-the-engine winning effort to kick off the qualifying session. Dunn guided the Nancy Takter-trained filly to an effortless 1:55.3 score under no urging, winning by three over Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy).

A seven-time winner in 11 seasonal starts, Champagne Problems (Tactical Landing-Miss Caviar) sports $678,116 in earnings for Rojan Stables, Family Business, Patrick Hoopes and Caviart Farms.

Unreasonable threw her hat into the ring as a potential Three Diamonds threat with her winning effort, a 1:53.4 score that bested 2024 Breeders Crown winner Miki And Minnie (Dunn) by more than two lengths.

Erv Miller trains and his stable co-owns three-time winner Unreasonable (Huntsville - Roaring To Go) with David J. Miller. She's banked $229,551 this season and and will look for more loot in the lucrative Three Diamonds final.

Despite just one win in the last two years of racing, Warrawee Xenia has shown enough talent to be considered a threat whenever she steps foot onto the racetrack. With Jason Bartlett in tow, the five-year-old Walner - Endless Flirt mare looked ready for FanDuel foes next Saturday with a 1:55.3 qualifying score on Saturday.

Mark Steacy trains and co-owns Warrawee Xenia, an 11-time winner with more than $536,000 in earnings, along with David McDonald, Dale Larson and Diane Bertrand.

More than $2.5 million USD in purses will be up for grabs on Saturday, Nov. 30 at The Meadowlands as the Fall Four shares the spotlight with the FanDuel Championships for older horses. The draw for those finals will be conducted on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

(Standardbred Canada)