Louis-Philippe Roy is always among the leading drivers at his home track of Woodbine Mohawk Park, and the 35-year-old pilot showed he can win races at The Meadowlands as well on Saturday, June 21, taking both Graduate Series leg three dashes for four-year-olds.

Roy scored with Private Access in the division for trotters and with Nijinsky in the pace. Both events went for $101,351. The $250,000 USD (est.) Graduate Series finals take place on Saturday, July 5 on Meadowlands Pace eliminations night.

“He’s almost a different animal,” said Roy after Private Access earned a hard-fought 1:50.2 victory, lowering his previous lifetime best by one-and-four-fifth seconds. “He’s always showed a lot of talent but now he’s so great and feeling confident.”

After a three-year-old season that saw him win just one of 14 starts, the son of Muscle Hill-Open Access is perfect in three 2025 outings, all in the Graduate Series.

Private Access was reserved early, sitting fifth to the quarter in :27.2 before getting into a live flow. When 5-2 co-favourite Gruesome Twosome (Yannick Gingras) couldn’t quite clear leader Sir Pinocchio (Jason Bartlett), Roy moved Private Access three wide before the half in :55.1 to go for the front and cleared to the lead before the five-eighths.

“I would have gone first-up if I didn’t get there,” said Roy. “I had to use mine hard.”

Out of the far turn, Sir Pinocchio was back for more after three-quarters was reached in 1:23, and after Private Access put that foe away, Roy had more than enough horsepower left to hold off a late explosive charge from second-place finisher Elista Hanover (Dave Miller), who missed by a half-length. Date Night Hanover (Scott Zeron) was third.

“He proved he’s the greatest at this moment,” said Roy of Private Access, who’s now six for 25 lifetime. “Congrats to [winning trainer] Luc [Blais] and his team.”

Private Access returned $7.40 to win as the 5-2 co-favourite while lifting his career earnings to $616,359 for owner Determination of Montreal, Que.

“I feel like mine raced his heart out,” said Roy. “I’m just excited to be sitting behind Private Access at the moment given how sharp he is.”

But Roy wasn’t done yet.

In an absolute thriller that sets up what figures to be a phenomenal final, Nijinsky held off Captain Albano by the smallest of margins to take the pace in 1:48.4.

Roy recalled Nijinsky’s second-place finish from a week ago at the hands of Brue Hanover in the Mohawk Gold Cup. 

“I was following Brue Hanover most of the time down the stretch but Yannick [Gingras, driving Brue Hanover] kept the rail closed. This week, we changed it up a little bit.”

Captain Albano (Todd McCarthy) used explosive early pace from post 10 in the bulky 12-horse field to grab the top at the quarter in :26.4. Roy and Nijinsky weren’t going to settle for the pocket this time around and moved to the top at the half in :55.

Sabonis (Dunn), a 27-1 outsider, was now on the go first-over and gained steadily on the leader through three-quarters in 1:22.4, a grind he continued all the way to the finish. Through the stretch, Nijinsky had to deal with not only Sabonis, but also Captain Albano, who found a small seam late and closed with a rush to miss by a nose. Sabonis was just a neck back in third.

“My horse is versatile,” said Roy. “He can mix it up a little bit on the front. I took a shot with him on the front. I was really surprised with Dexter’s horse [Sabonis]. He was gaining on me and I was worried. Captain Albano had the 10-hole and raced great. It’s going to be a great final.”

Nijinsky, the 2024 North America Cup winner who is trained by Anthony Beaton, upped his lifetime stats to 14 wins from 31 starts, good for earnings of $1,884,425 for owners West Wins Stable of Wellington, Fla., John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont., Mark Dumain of Pine Bush, N.Y., and Winbak Farm of Chesapeake City, Md. He paid $3 as the 1-2 favourite. The son of Bettors Delight-Pirouette Hanover is two-for-four this season with both wins in the Graduate.

Smooth Dream (a gelding by Cattlewash-Dreamlands Latte) moved to the lead before the half and held sway to the wire easily to take the $64,865 New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund Final for three-year-old colts and geldings on the pace in 1:49.3 by 1-1/2 lengths over Twin Fury (Dunn). Floor It Freddie (Jonathan Ahle) finished third.

The Noel Daley trainee, who was driven by Todd McCarthy, was limited to three starts during 2024 due to an ankle injury, but has come back this year with one flawless performance after another. His 2025 numbers now read seven starts (all at The Meadowlands), seven wins, and earnings of $275,892. He returned $2.20 as the 1-9 public choice.

“He’s a nice little colt,” said McCarthy. “He’s come a long way this year.”

Please Be You surged late to take the $64,865 New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund Final for sophomore pacing fillies. Second over on the final turn, the Lazarus N-Cheyenne Trish filly took off in deep-stretch, surging by three rivals and getting up to win by a nose in 1:50.3 in a four-across finish. Worklifebalance (Andrew McCarthy) was a narrow second in the photo with show finisher Beach Babe (Gingras) alongside her, a neck behind the winner.

Please Be You, a homebred for GRJ Partners LLC, is now three-for-10 since debuting earlier this year. She nearly doubled her earnings with Saturday's win, increasing her bankroll to $69,660 for trainer Linda Toscano. She returned $4 as the even-money second choice.

Maximus Miki returned after three weeks away to capture the night's $37,162 Open Pace, beating Voukefalas (Joe Bongiorno) by a half-length in 1:48.3. Its My Show (Scott Zeron) was third. Maximus Miki, a six-year-old Always B Miki-Beach Gal gelding, is conditioned by Thomas Cancilliere for John Cancilliere. He paid $2.80 to win as he improved his seasonal record to two wins in three tries.

Up Your Deo ($21.20) caught Lexus Kody (Gingras) late to win the $37,162 Open Handicap Trot by a neck in 1:51. Outside The Fire (Ahle) closed for show. Up Your Deo, now one-for-three on the season, was trained and driven to victory by Ake Svanstedt. Ake Svanstedt Stables Inc., Suleyman Yuksel Stables I, Deo Volente Farms LLC, and Van Camp Trotting Corp own the five-year-old son of Walner-Grand Stand.

Meadowlands Pace hopeful Fallout (Captaintreacherous-Aria Hanover) got into the win column for the first time in four 2025 starts with a 1:49.1 score over a fast-closing Lou Grant (Bartlett), who was seeking his fourth straight score. Fallout was driven by Tim Tetrick and is trained by Tony Alagna for Robert Leblanc, Pryde Stables Inc., and Caviart Farms. He paid $4 as the even-money second choice. Lou Grant was the 3-5 public choice in the $23,647 overnight pace.

Jason Bartlett led the drivers with three wins on the program, while Shaun Vallee’s two victories topped the trainer colony. All-source handle on the 14-race card totaled $2,923,580. 

Racing resumes Friday, June 27 at 6:20 p.m.

(With files from The Meadowlands; photo of Nijinsky winning on June 21)