It's the time of year for high hopes and lofty expectations. Some of harness racing's top stars of 2011 hit the track for seasonal qualifying debuts on Friday morning

.

Earlier this week, trainer Ron Burke told Trot Insider that top-rated sophomore pacer Sweet Lou would qualify at The Meadows on Friday morning. The fastest freshman in the history of the sport did just that, in winning fashion with a 1:54.1 mile. Dave Palone was at the controls of the Yankee Cruiser three-year-old, who is expected to make one more qualifying effort in two weeks time before his first pari-mutuel test in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event in May.

Ranked #1 in the 2012 Trot Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, Sweet Lou had 10 victories and two seconds in 12 starts in 2011 and earned $688,117 for Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Lawrence Karr, Phillip Collura and the Burke Racing Stable.

At the Meadowlands Racetrack, all eyes were on Check Me Out. The sensational filly showed no signs of rust en route to a 1:54.4 score for trainer Ray Schnittker, with OSS standout Miss Paris more than 12 lengths back in third for trainer Nifty Norman.

The winner of both the O’Brien Award and the Dan Patch Award at two, Check Me Out assembled a 14-2-0 record from 16 starts last year while banking close to $900,000 for Schnittker and partner Charles Iannazzo.

“Ray has a plan for her; we were talking about it the other day,” Iannazzo said to HRC. “We want to give her a nice race before going to Canada, so we might bring her to Chester for the first (Pennsylvania) sire stake. There are some nice fillies in there. From there, we’ll go to Canada (for June’s Elegantimage Stakes). After that, we’ll see.

“We’re going to be here the first weekend in August, I’ll tell you that,” he added with a grin, referring to the $1.5 million Hambletonian, as well as the filly companion race Hambletonian Oaks. “Where? That’s what we’ll decide.”

A number of North America Cup-eligible colts were also in action. After debuting last week, Mel Mara turned heads with a 1:52.1 qualifying effort for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Tony Alagna. The three-year-old son of Lis Mara was assessed odds of 45-1 in Trot's NA Cup Spring Book. Finishing third and pacing in 1:53.2 was Michaels Power (65-1) while Hillbilly Hanover (48-1) debuted with a 1:55.4 mile.

Hurrikane Kingcole (#6, 18-1) scored a three-quarter length victory over Rockweiller (45-1) in 1:52.3, with Major Bombay (38-1) pacing in 1:54.4.

Escape The News (#8, 22-1) finished third to an impressive Heston Blue Chip, pacing his mile in 1:53.2 for driver Brian Sears and trainer Joe Holloway.

Breeders Crown winners Bettor Sweet and Cedar Dove also returned to action. Bettor Sweet qualified a winner in 1:52.1 for driver John Campbell and trainer Tom Cancelliere, while Cedar Dove finished a solid third to divisional rival Jezzy in a 1:56 trotting mile.