Dan Patch Award-winning Youaremycandygirl, who in the current issue of Hoof Beats magazine is predicted to be this year’s top earning three-year-old pacer, visits the Meadowlands Racetrack on Saturday (April 28) for her first qualifier of the season. The Ron Burke-trained filly is part of an all-star group appearing at the New Jersey oval Saturday morning.
Youaremycandygirl was voted the sport’s best two-year-old female pacer in 2017 by the U.S. Harness Writers Association after winning nine of 11 races and earning $943,115, which led all two-year-old pacers. She became the fastest two-year-old female pacer in history thanks to her 1:50 victory in a division of the International Stallion Stakes at Lexington’s Red Mile, a time that tied colt Hayden Hanover for the best of any two-year-old pacer last season.
“She had a great year,” owner Bill Donovan said. “When I think of all the great fillies over the years, for her to come out of the year with the world record and the earnings that she had, you realize just how blessed you are.”
Among the three-year-old female pacers that will appear with Youaremycandygirl on Saturday are stakes-winners Kissin In The Sand, Rainbow Room and Band Stand.
The double Dan Patch and O'Brien Award winning trotter Ariana G will line up in the sixth qualifier of the morning on Saturday at The Meadowlands. One race later, 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover will set foot on the track for her second qualifier of the season and face fellow female trotting stars Broadway Donna and Caprice Hill.
No less than 14 three-year-old pacing colts eligible to the 2018 Pepsi North America Cup are slated to qualify. That list includes four of the top five colts in the Trot Magazine North America Cup Spring Book -- Stay Hungry, Lost In Time, Pedro Hanover and Hayden Hanover.
In addition to the slate of sophomores, 2017 Older Pacing Mare Pure Country will make her 2018 debut.
To view program page proofs for Saturday's qualifiers at The Meadowlands, view the embedded PDF below. Document not loading below? Please refresh your page or click the link to open in a new window.
Meadowlands Qualifiers - April 28 -- Open in new window
(with files from USTA)