Stakes action has hit the warming air in North America with The Meadowlands set to gather some of harness racing's top talent for the first round of the Graduate Series for four-year-olds on Saturday (May 7).
The pacing four-year-olds go in two $50,000 divisions with the first carded as Race 6. Ohio superstar Charlie May will look to continue momentum he carried through his first start of the season when winning the Open Handicap at The Meadowlands in 1:48.3. Steve Carter trains the McArdle gelding owned by Don Tiger and will have Dave Miller in the bike from Post 9. The first division field also attracts 2021 Adios winner Hellabalou, 2021 Kentucky Championship Series winner Goldies Legacy, Meadowlands Pace elim winner Southwind Gendry and Nancy Takter’s regally bred and speedy One Eight Hundred.
Little Brown Jug winner Lous Pearlman heads the second split out of Post 4. The Sweet Lou stallion enters off two qualifiers at The Meadowlands with his most recent a 1:50.4 clocking. Burke teamster Yannick Gingras will drive the homebred for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Elizabeth Novak co-owned by Howard Taylor. Division two also gathers Ill Drink To That, fresh off a 1:49.3 win in a $20,000 conditioned pace at The Meadowlands, as well as Tattersalls Stakes winner Abuckabett Hanover and his stablemate, Progress Pace winner Rockyroad Hanover.
The trotting four-year-olds will spar in a single $75,000 dash for the opening prelim highlighted by the return of Cuatro De Julio, who is slated to have Louis Baudron in the sulky for the first time since his break in the Breeders Crown eliminations at Harrah’s Hoosier Park as a two-year-old. The Trixton stallion, trained and co-owned by Marie Ortolan Bar with D Farm LLC, ships from Miami Valley Raceway off a 1:57.2 qualifier and will start from Post 2. The race also includes an Ake Svanstedt trio with Ambassador Hanover, Hambletonian elimination winner Delayed Hanover and Rattle My Cage, as well as Canadian Trotting Classic winner Ahundreddollarbill.
Saturday’s 13-race card also features three Open events, one on the trot and two on the pace. Lovedbythemasses will try for back-to-back wins in the Open Trot while the recent down-under invader Ignatius A will try to breakthrough from the conditioned ranks in the Open Pace. The $40,000 Mares Pace gathers a strong contingent led by 2021 Dan Patch Horse of the Year Test Of Faith, who will face fellow four-year-old Blue Diamond Eyes, Blue Chip Matchmaker runner-up Racine Bell, Matchmaker consolation winner Gias Surreal and a trio of down-under imports in Amazing Dream N, Watch Me Now N and Majorca N.
First-race post time at The Meadowlands is 6:20 p.m. (EDT).