On To Norway silenced any doubters he might have had, as the Indiana invader upped his winning streak to 27 after taking one of four $69,444 splits of the second leg of the Graduate Series for four-year-olds of both gaits Friday, June 12 at The Meadowlands.

The gelded son of Muscle Massive-One Class Act got away from the gate third in the first division for trotters before moving to the lead at the half in :55.2. With Yannick Gingras steering the Ron Burke trainee, On To Norway hit three-quarters in 1:23.1 while pressured by Meshuggah (Dexter Dunn) before shrugging off that foe and drawing clear to an easy 1:49.3 score, a lifetime best which equalled the fastest mile of the year in the sport on the trot that was established earlier on the card. Early leader Walspea (Jason Bartlett) took second over Meshuggah, 2-1/4 lengths behind the streaking winner.

“He did it pretty easy,” said Gingras. “He had plenty left [in the stretch].”

As the 4-5 favourite, On To Norway returned $3.60 to his backers after winning for the 31st time from 37 lifetime starts. His earnings now sit just shy of the million-dollar mark.

On To Norway is owned by Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Frank Baldachino of Harvey Cedars, New Jersey, Black And White Stable of Milroy, Indiana and Michael Rosenthal of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Super Chapter gave notice that he’s gunning for a second straight U.S. divisional title after crushing his foes in the second division for trotters in a lifetime-best 1:49.3 in his seasonal debut.

The Marcus Melander trainee, who earned $1.7 million during a sensational 2025, picked up right where he left off, as driver Dexter Dunn put him on the lead and never had an anxious moment while cutting out fractions of :27.3, :55.4 and 1:23.3. His mile time is the co-fastest of the year in the sport on the trot, along with On To Norway. Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy) finished two lengths behind in second and Mr Mouton (Yannick Gingras) was third best.

A son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit, Super Chapter has now won 15 of 26 lifetime starts, good for earnings of $2.46 million. As the 2-5 favourite, he paid $2.80. Super Chapter is owned by Jeffrey Snyder of New York City, New York. Arthur Pronti of Jersey City, New Jersey and Hanover Shoe Farms Inc. of Hanover, Pennsylvania.

In the first of two Graduate dashes on the pace, Go Go Grasshopper, an excellent upper-echelon overnight horse when last seen in December, showed he is now something more.

The ridgling by Sweet Lou-Faster Faster went all the way on the front end for trainer/driver Joe Bongiorno in his seasonal debut. After reaching the half in a tepid :56, ‘Grasshopper’ roared home to the tune of a :52.3 back half to stop the clock in a lifetime-best 1:48.3. The pocket-sitting Swingtown (Yannick Gingras) was moving to the winner in deep stretch only to come up a nose short. Bruno No No No (Jason Bartlett), the 4-5 favourite, went first-up for the final half and had to settle for third. Smooth Dream (Todd McCarthy), who went eight-for-eight at The Meadowlands a year ago, finished fourth.

As the 8-5 second choice in the betting, Go Go Grasshopper returned $5.40 to win as he scored for the seventh time from just 18 lifetime starts. He is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing of Boca Raton, Florida along with Jb Racing of Freehold, New Jersey.

Captain Optimistic, the Nancy Takter trainee who was a major player on the sophomore male pacing trail a year ago, sent out word that he might be a superstar as a four-year-old, unleashing a season’s-fastest 1:46.4 score in the second Graduate pace with Scott Zeron at the controls.

The son of Captaintreacherous-Cinamony brushed to the lead at the half in a demanding :53.2 before pacing his back half in an identical :53.2 clocking to complete the mile in an effort that lowered his previous lifetime best by one and one-fifth seconds. Ayeaye Captain Deo (Jordan Stratton) closed impressively to finish three-quarters of a length back in second while favoured Fallout (Tim Tetrick) was third.

Captain Optimistic returned $7.60 as the 5-2 second choice in the betting after winning for the 14th time in 34 career tries. The winner of more than $1.6 million is owned by the Captain Optimistic Syndicate of Flemington, New Jersey.

After coming up just short of stablemate American Power in his 2026 debut last week, divisional Dan Patch Award winner Apex absolutely looked the part of a 1-9 favourite in his second seasonal showing, posting a career-best 1:50.3 win in the $312,500 New Jersey Sire Stakes Platinum Division final for three-year-old male trotters.

Dexter Dunn was in no hurry early with the Walner-Mission Brief colt, landing in fifth on approach to the first turn as Diabolic Hill (Todd McCarthy) and American Power (Mattias Melander) advanced to dispute the early lead. Following a brief pocket tuck behind Diabolic Hill, American Power pushed forward to control a :27.4 first quarter before yielding to Diabolic Hill on the backstretch. Meanwhile, Dunn and Apex were lurking on the outside after angling off the pegs midway on the first turn and gradually floating forward, and they accelerated to take charge at the :55.2 halfway station.

On the far turn, American Power began a second move when Ardonne (Scott Zeron) flushed him out with five-sixteenths to go, but he could only offer mild pressure to Apex past the 1:23.3 three-quarters before levelling off in the stretch. Apex was kept to his task by mild Dunn encouragement in mid-stretch, and he threw down a :27 closing sectional to keep Diabolic Hill's inside bid a half length at bay with plenty in reserve. American Power protected third, another three lengths in arrears.

"He had a great year last year, but he's definitely matured a lot," said Dunn of Apex. "We were out until the half, and when he got the front, he was marching on and feeling great... Hopefully this guy's on track for another good season."

A seven-time winner from 11 starts, Apex has earned $1,365,378 for Jeffrey Snyder and partners S R F Stable of Delray Beach, Florida and Steve Stewart of Paris, Kentucky. The Marcus Melander trainee paid $2.20 to win.

Dunn and Melander teamed up to also take the $55,556 New Jersey Sire Stakes Silver Division final for three-year-old male trotters with the Muscle Hill-Nixie Volo gelding Nix Nacken, who rolled to a world record 1:50 victory for Courant Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida. 

Dunn also captured the $55,556 New Jersey Sire Stakes Silver final for three-year-old trotting fillies, teaming Carter Pinske trainee Brattitude, a daughter of Tactical Landing-Love Muffin, to a 1:52.3 win for the partnership of Robert LeBlanc of New York City, New York, David Anderson of St. Thomas, Ont., Pryde Stables Inc. of North York, Ont., and John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont.

In the $312,500 New Jersey Sire Stakes Platinum Division final for three-year-old trotting fillies, Madam Cheval overcame mid-race traffic trouble by fanning five-wide off the home turn and closing into a collapsing pace for a lifetime-best 1:51.3 score.

Tim Tetrick dove Madam Cheval into the pocket to draft behind Emmas Mystery CCL (Andy McCarthy) through a :27.4 first quarter, but the pair was quickly relegated to fourth as Oak Grove Trotting Oaks winner Jailbird Jog (Anthony MacDonald) sustained her three-wide push through the first turn to eclipse both the two-wide Custom (Jason Bartlett) and Emmas Mystery CCL and take charge upon reaching the backstretch. As Jailbird Jog pulled the tempo back slightly through a :56.1 half mile, 3-2 favourite Naked And Famous (Todd McCarthy) began her first-over push out of midfield, and the advancing outer tier caused Madam Cheval to be shuffled back to seventh midway on the far turn.

With five-sixteenths to go, Naked And Famous had put a length on Jailbird Jog but failed to clear her stubborn inside foe and began to tire off the turn for home. Meanwhile, Tetrick found room to angle Madam Cheval fourth-over before fanning the Walner-Shake It Cerry filly five-wide past three-quarters in 1:24.1. Jailbird Jog reclaimed the lead and extended it back to a length at the eighth pole, but the third-quarter pressure did her in as a host of pursuers from off the pace engulfed her in the final yards. Madam Cheval closed best down the grandstand side to eclipse stablemate Leading Lady (Scott Zeron), who emerged three-wide around the tiring Naked And Famous, by a neck. Custom split foes in deep stretch to save third. Naked And Famous faded to finish ninth in the 10-horse field.

"I got a little lucky to get out down the backside into third-over position, but once she got clear sailing, she knew what to do," said Tetrick of Madam Cheval, whom Nancy Takter trains for M. Biasuzzi Stable Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida. "She's come back really good this year; every start's been a good one."

A four-time winner from 16 starts, Madam Cheval boosted her career earnings to $344,953 with her third win from four attempts this season. Sent off as the 9-1 fifth choice, she paid $21.60 to win.

Bookie J, at No. 6 the highest-ranked horse in the track’s Road to the Meadowlands Pace Top 10 not racing in the North America Cup, had an easy time of it in a New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund Pace, going wire-to-wire in a lifetime-best 1:48.4 as the 1-9 favourite for Dunn and trainer Chris Ryder to stay perfect in five 2026 outings. 

Rodney Duncan, with a final bankroll of $822, and John Skladany, $497, finished 1-2, respectively, in the $1,000 USD Meadowlands Monthly Handicapping Contest. Each has now earned a spot in the $10,000 USD contest final on Dec. 12.

Dunn led the drivers with five wins on the card while Melander led the trainers with four walks down victory lane.

All-source betting on the 14-race program totalled $2,581,056 USD.

There is no racing or simulcasting on Saturday, June 13 at The Big M due to a live World Cup soccer match at MetLife Stadium. Racing resumes on Friday, June 19 at 6:35 p.m.

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)