Meadowlands Racetrack will host many of harness racing’s top Grand Circuit contenders on a stakes-filled Meadowlands Pace elimination card on Saturday, July 4.
The 11-race program features the single $50,000 USD Meadowlands Pace elim, the $230,000 USD finals of the Stan Bergstein Graduate Series (Grade 2), the $168,100 USD Dave Brower Memorial (Grade 3), $153,200 Perfect Sting (Grade 3), $131,250 USD JL Cruze (Grade 3) and $129,400 USD Six Pack. Six of the top 10 horses in the weekly Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll are in to go.
Sixth-ranked On To Norway enters the Graduate trot final for four-year-olds after sustaining his first defeat since April 2025 in the final preliminary leg of the series. The son of Muscle Massive-One Class Act finished gamely after racing first-up from the half but was picked off by the fast-closing Mr Mouton, ending On To Norway’s 27-race winning streak. The Ron Burke trainee, who recorded a career-best 1:49.3 mile at The Meadowlands on June 12, has drawn post nine and has Yannick Gingras in the bike for Saturday’s showdown. Mr Mouton, trained and driven by Ake Svanstedt, has post five after his first win of the year in four starts in that victory over Odds On Mr Mamba. Last year’s Hambletonian runner-up Super Chapter holds an undefeated record in 2026 after winning two Graduate series legs for trainer Marcus Melander. Dexter Dunn is listed to drive the stallion, ranked eighth in the top 10 poll, from post seven. The field also includes 2025 Breeders Crown champion Meshuggah (PP1, Dunn listed) and last season’s Kentucky Filly Futurity winner Delaney Hanover (PP10, Scott Zeron).
$230,000 USD Graduate Series Trot Final (G2)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Meshuggah - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
2. Monserrate - Jason Bartlett - Andrew Harris
3. Warrior - James MacDonald - Ake Svanstedt
4. Happy Jack B - Jonathan Ahle - Ake Svanstedt
5. Mr Mouton - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
6. Walspea - Jason Bartlett - Trond Smedshammer
7. Super Chapter - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
8. Go Dog Go - Todd McCarthy - Carter Pinske
9. On To Norway - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
10. Delaney Hanover - Scott Zeron - Lucas Wallin
AE1. Greenma - Trond Smedshammer - Trond Smedshammer
The Graduate pace final will conclude a competitive series with five preliminary-round winners to battle. Grade 2 Charles Juravinski Memorial winner Prince Hal Hanover heads the group of 10 with Todd McCarthy set to guide the Dr. Ian Moore trainee away from the six hole. The son of Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip has four wins in seven starts on the campaign with two show finishes and a narrow second in the Grade 2 Battle of Lake Erie. He won the last leg of the Graduate in 1:48 at The Meadowlands and is 10th in the top 10 poll. Captain Optimistic scored the Big M in 1:46.4 in the second Graduate leg and closed in :25.3 in the final prelim, finishing second to Prince Hal Hanover. Scott Zeron will take the lines from post five for trainer Nancy Taker. Fallout faces a tough draw after putting up a 1:47.4 mile in his last Graduate prelim. Tim Tetrick gets the call again from Ron Burke to handle the stallion from post 10. The other leg winners contesting the final are Ayeaye Captain Deo (PP3, Jordan Stratton) and Go Go Grasshopper (PP7, Joe Bongiorno).
$230,000 USD Graduate Series Pace Final (G2)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Railroad Station - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
2. Fifth And Five - James MacDonald - Enrico Robinson
3. Ayeaye Captain Deo - Jordan Stratton - Garry Merner
4. Swingtown - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
5. Captain Optimistic - Scott Zeron - Nancy Takter
6. Prince Hal Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Dr. Ian Moore
7. Go Go Grasshopper - Joe Bongiorno - Joe Bongiorno
8. Sugar Man - Dexter Dunn - Enrico Robinson
9. Bruno No No No - Jason Bartlett - Dave Menary
10. Fallout - Tim Tetrick - Ron Burke
AE1. Twisted Destiny - Dexter Dunn - Chris Ryder
AE2. Smooth Dream - Todd McCarthy - Noel Daley
Ervin Hanover returns from a two-week absence to take on top older pacers in the Dave Brower Memorial. The defending divisional champion in both the U.S. and Canada won an Open Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park in his seasonal debut, then came home in :26.1 to notch a 1:48.2 triumph in the Grade 3 Mohawk Gold Cup on June 13. Dexter Dunn is set to drive the six-year-old reigning Breeders Crown champion, who has drawn post six, for Dave Menary. The son of Captaintreacherous-Eloquent Grace meets Borgata Series winner Captain Albano (PP11, Todd McCarthy), SendItIn Invitational winner Huntinthelastdolar (PP2, Jason Bartlett), double millionaire Bythemissal (PP7, Yannick Gingras) and Ken Hanover (PP9, Tim Tetrick), who took the Joseph Auger Invitational.
$168,100 USD Dave Brower Memorial (G3)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Crack Shot - Doug McNair - Gregg McNair
2. Huntinthelastdolar - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom
3. Maximus Miki - Scott Zeron - Tom Cancelliere
4. Oakwood Ardan Ir - James MacDonald - Robert Cleary
5. For Once Inmy Life - Jordan Stratton - Cory Stratton
6. Ervin Hanover - Dexter Dunn - Dave Menary
7. Bythemissal - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
8. Coaches Corner - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom
9. Ken Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Rollie Mallar
10. Christopher Dance N - James MacDonald - Dave Menary
11. Captain Albano - Todd McCarthy - Noel Daley
AE1. Voukefalas - Braxten Boyd - Mike Russo
AE2. Clever Cody - Luke Ebersole - Francois Lecomte
Miki And Minnie takes a three-race win streak into another clash with Chris Ryder stablemate Twin B Joe Fresh in the Perfect Sting for pacing mares. Miki And Minnie defeated the 2024 U.S. Horse of the Year in their first matchup in the Grade 1 Roses Are Red on June 13 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, which she won in 1:48.1. The four-year-old daughter of Always B Miki-Thats The Ticket, who secured Dan Patch divisional honours at two and three, won an overnight in a track-record 1:49.1 at Plainridge Park in her last start. James MacDonald, who drove her in the Roses Are Red, returns to pilot her out of post five Saturday. Twin B Joe Fresh looked back on track when winning a tightener of her own in 1:48.4 at Harrah’s Philadelphia on June 26. The triple-millionaire six-year-old daughter of Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze was second in this event last year and gets regular driver Dexter Dunn in the seat as she aims to go one better in this year’s edition. Those two will tangle with the division’s 2025 Breeders Crown champion Always B Naughty (PP2, Matt Kakaley), who scored at 1:50.2 at Scioto Downs in preparation for this event, and Louies Girl N (PP9, Jason Bartlett), who beat Miki And Minnie in the Betsy Ross Invitational in May and was a game third in the Roses Are Red.
$153,200 USD Perfect Sting (G3)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Unreasonable - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris
2. Always B Naughty - Matt Kakaley - Todd Luther
3. Champagne Room - Tim Tetrick - Ron Burke
4. Talk Curdy To Me - Brett Beckwith - Dave Menary
5. Miki And Minnie - James MacDonald - Chris Ryder
6. Prolific Fire - Todd McCarthy - Todd Luther
7. Skywalker Sea - Andrew McCarthy - Todd Luther
8. Twin B Joe Fresh - Dexter Dunn - Chris Ryder
9. Louies Girl N - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom
10. Rodeo Drive Deo - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
The JL Cruze features open trotters, with defending Dan Patch Award recipient Lexus Kody looking to build off a sharp Free-For-All win at Woodbine Mohawk Park on North America Cup night. The Ron Burke-trained eight-year-old son of Archangel-Lexus Helios was fourth in the division’s first major event, the Cutler Memorial at The Meadowlands on May 16, but returned to beat two of Saturday’s opponents in the June 13 Mohawk contest. Yannick Gingras will see him away from post five. Aetos Kronos S, second in the Cutler and the Mohawk Free-For-All and third in the Maxie Lee, will look to get off the schneid for trainer Marcus Melander as he leaves from the two-hole with Dexter Dunn at the lines.
$131,250 USD JL Cruze (G3)
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Chapercraz - Tim Tetrick - Ron Burke
2. Aetos Kronos S - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
3. Up Your Deo - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
4. Osceola - Doug McNair - Gregg McNair
5. Lexus Kody - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
6. Amazing Catch - Matt Kakaley - Todd Luther
7. Sir Pinocchio - Jason Bartlett - Linda Toscano
Yo Tillie faces a stern test in the Six Pack as the 2025 Dan Patch Award winner takes on open trotting mares for the first time and must deal with post 10. She won 11 of 12 starts at three, including the Breeders Crown, and earned U.S. divisional honours. Regular reinsman Todd McCarthy will handle the daughter of Tactical Landing-Consolidator for trainer Andrew Harris. Yo Tillie is set to clash with the reigning U.S. Older Trotting Mare of the Year in Warrawee Michelle, who has post four for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt. The five-year-old Walner-Sound Check mare won the Breeders Crown in a stakes-record 1:50.2 and beat male rivals in the Graduate final last year. She was fourth-placed-third in the Grade 2 Armbro Flight on June 13 and finished second in a Pocono Downs overnight on June 23 to sharpen for Saturday’s tilt. The competitive group of 10 also includes Armbro Flight winner Bourbonista S (PP7, Dexter Dunn) and Bravo Angel S (PP8, Jason Bartlett), who is four-for-six this season.
$129,400 USD Six Pack
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Dial Square S - James MacDonald - Ake Svanstedt
2. Miracle Maven - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
3. Elista Hanover - Andrew McCarthy - Annie Stoebe
4. Warrawee Michelle - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
5. Nelsonbriteagle No - Jonathan Ahle - Ake Svanstedt
6. Monalishi - Doug McNair - Blake MacIntosh
7. Bourbonista S - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander
8. Bravo Angel S - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom
9. R Dutchess - Tim Tetrick - John Butenschoen
10. Yo Tillie - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris
The remainder of the 11-race card consists of four $33,000+ USD divisions of the W.N. Reynolds Memorial, with two for each sex of three-year-old trotters.
On Saturday, Los Mini Enmascarados (Mini Masked Wrestlers) will perform the unique Mexican Cultural Art of Lucha Libre in The Backyard ring. The performers will display their flying aerials, scissor kicks and wheelbarrow holds, and fight to become champions. This family-friendly event starts at 7 p.m. and doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 USD plus service fees when purchased in advance online or $30 USD at the door.
Following the wrestling and live racing, at approximately 10:35 p.m., there will be a free fireworks show to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
(Standardbred Canada)