Marcus Melander will get his stable’s 2025 season underway on Friday, April 11 at The Meadowlands, and he will do it with two horses that were competing overseas in recent years.
Melander, who last year set career highs with 104 wins and $9 million in purses, will send out Aetos Kronos S and S I P in Friday’s featured $17,500 USD conditioned trot at The Big M. The nine-year-old Aetos Kronos S has spent his entire career overseas, where he captured three Group 1 and four Group 2 races while banking $1.37 million in purses. Six-year-old S I P was a multiple Grand Circuit stakes winner and a world record champion at age three before spending the past two years in Sweden.
Aetos Kronos S, a son of Bold Eagle-Will Of A Woman owned by Jeff Snyder and Michael Snyder, was trained overseas by Jerry Riordan. Among his highlights was winning the Hakan Wallner Memorial with a world-record performance at the distance of 1-5/16 miles at age three. Two years later, he was an Elitloppet finalist, and later that season upset Elitloppet winner Don Fanucci Zet in the Jubileumspokalen (The Jubilee Prize) at Solvalla Racetrack.
The stallion, who missed time in ensuing years because of a health issue, most recently raced in the Prix d’Amerique and Prix de France in early 2024 before heading to the United States and Melander’s stable. Aetos Kronos S prepped for his North American debut with two qualifiers at The Meadowlands, winning the second on March 29 by a half-length over S I P in 1:56, covering the last quarter-mile in :26.4 with Dexter Dunn in the sulky.
“I think he might need a start or two to get his legs under him, but we were very happy with the way he qualified the other day,” said Jeff Snyder. “After a start or two, hopefully he’ll come into himself. He needs a little racing.
“He’s an exciting horse for us. If he comes back the way he was, it will be a very interesting season to watch him.”
Melander is looking forward to seeing Aetos Kronos S in action. The stallion will leave from post two in Friday’s seven-horse field with Dunn back in the bike. He is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.
“He’s been a great horse his entire career,” said Melander. “We were happy with his qualifiers. He needed two qualifiers to get a little tighter and he looked a little sharper in the second one. We’ll see how he races, but he feels good and seems happy. It will be exciting to see him race. He always tries his best.”
Aetos Kronos S is staked to many top events for older male trotters, including the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial, Crawford Farms Trot, John Cashman Memorial and Maple Leaf Trot.
“We have him staked to all the open events that we could put him in,” said Snyder. “It was a bit of a gamble, but he looks great. He looks fabulous. Let’s see what happens. He’s been a special horse for us. We’re hoping for the best.”
Melander’s other entrant, S I P, is making his seasonal debut and will have Mattias Melander in the sulky. S I P won eight of 32 races at ages two and three in North America while in the stable of trainer Ron Burke. In addition to his Pennsylvania Sire Stakes title, his victories included the 2022 Old Oaken Bucket in 1:51.2 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio (pictured above). The time remains the fastest ever by a three-year-old trotter on a half-mile track.
“Obviously, he was a fast three-year-old over here and raced good for Burke,” said Melander, who trains the stallion with nearly $500,000 in earnings for owners Brixton Medical Inc. and Hatfield Stables. “He had a couple decent years in Sweden and we’re excited to start racing him as well and see what he can do.”
S I P, a son of Bar Hopping-Barbara Brooks, will leave from post four and is 4-1 on the morning line.
“He just qualified once, but he raced in October, so he hadn’t been away for long,” said Melander. “I think he will be OK with just one qualifier, but he might need a race or two. He’s a nice horse, an honest horse and he likes his work.”
The 2-1 morning line favourite in Friday’s race is Chapercraz, who is making his five-year-old seasonal debut for trainer Burke, leaving from post five with Joe Bongiorno in the bike. Last season, the gelding won the Hambletonian Maturity, was second in the Spirit of Massachusetts and third in the Cashman, Charlie Hill Memoria, and Graduate Series championship. He has earned $1.2 million lifetime.
Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. at The Meadowlands.
(With files from USTA)