The undercard for the 2025 Meadowlands Pace on Saturday, July 12 featured some of harness racing's top ranked horses competing in the prestigious William R. Haughton Open Pace, Hambletonian Maturity, Stanley Dancer Memorial, Del Miller Memorial, Jerry Silverman Memorial and Dorothy Haughton Open Mare Pace.
Stakes Record For Elista Hanover In Hambletonian Maturity
Elista Hanover plastered a dozen four-year-old trotting rivals on Saturday, July 12 at The Meadowlands in the 1-1/8 mile Grade 1 $582,192 E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity.
The strapping mare driven by David Miller settled third after a wide start as Sir Pinocchio (Jason Bartlett) soared off the gate to get the lead with Warrawee Michelle (Ake Svanstedt) squeezing into second and Private Access (Louis-Philippe Roy) in the mix. Miller asked Elista Hanover to take control of the dozen foes and quickly left the pylons to take over in a fiery first quarter of :25.1.
Miller was in control going to the half when Private Access launched a challenge on the outside and took over the top spot while Elista Hanover sat cold covered in second and Warrawee Michelle stayed in the flow of a :54.1 half. Miller's mare quickly muscled off the pylons again and passed Private Access to take the lead for the second time in the added-distance route.
Elista Hanover was plowing ahead and cut three-quarters in 1:22.1 with no sign of tiring even as Warrawee Michelle took aim at her midstretch. There was no denying the International Moni-Evermore mare at that point and Miller let his mare loose to a stakes-record win in 2:03 (after trotting the mile in 1:49.3). The time beats the previous record of 2:04.1 set in 2015 (the second edition of the race) by JL Cruze.
Warrawee Michelle stayed determined to get the place spot, beaten 2-1/2 lengths. Security Protected (Andy McCarthy) flew from the pack and past breakers down the centre of the track to grab third from Private Access in fourth.
Lynn Curry, Philomena P. Curry and trainer Annie Stoebe own Elista Hanover, earned her first win of the year in her sixth try and her 14th victory in her third season of racing.
"She is so versatile," Stoebe said. "Dave can do whatever he needs to, and that was what he needed to do tonight. She wintered down at Spring Station with my friend Sasha [Moczulski] and came back strong, bigger and ready for the four-year-old year. We knew how talented she was and it was worth taking a shot.”
Stoebe said she wants Elista Hanover to finish the four-year-old season strong. "The Breeders Crown would be great and there are others along the way for her."
Elista Hanover paid $4.80 to win while raising her lifetime bankroll to $1,041,501.
Upsets Abound In William Haughton Memorial
Oakwood Ardan IR and Maximus Miki posted double-digit upsets in their respective $202,054 divisions of the William Haughton Memorial for older pacers,, winning at 32-1 and 14-1, respectively.
Oakwood Ardan IR fanned four-wide off the home turn and cascaded to a lifetime-best 1:47.3 win over Dave Brower Memorial winner Coach Stefanos and Graduate winner Sabonis in the first division.
Driver Jordan Stratton kept Oakwood Ardan IR reserved off a five-horse skirmish that saw Voukefalas (driven by Joe Bongiorno) vault from post 10 to lead at the end of a :26 first quarter before yielding to double millionaire Abuckabett Hanover (Yannick Gingras) upon reaching the backstretch. As Sabonis (Dexter Dunn) employed a fourth-to-first brush to seize control shortly thereafter, Stratton and Oakwood Ardan IR were content to sit two-wide in the slipstream of Coach Stefanos (James MacDonald), who flushed 6-5 favourite Captain Albano (Todd McCarthy) out from fifth at the :53.2 half-mile split.
Captain Albano took aim at Sabonis on the far turn, towing Coach Stefanos and Oakwood Ardan IR into striking range at three-quarters in 1:21.2, at which point both horses fanned wide for the stretch drive. Coach Stefanos persistently wore down pacesetter Sabonis, but Oakwood Ardan IR — on the power of a ferocious :25.2 final quarter — eclipsed eventual runner-up Coach Stefanos in the final strides to prevail by a neck. Sabonis finished a game third over the hard-working Captain Albano.
"I wanted to have him as close as I could at the head of the stretch," said Stratton. "He felt great when I moved him. I probably moved him a little early, but I was just so confident in my horse, and he charged right to the wire."
Not only is the Haughton win the biggest of Oakwood Ardan IR's career to date, but it marks his 11th victory in 14 starts over the Big M oval.
"This feels like a dream come true," said trainer Robert Cleary. "For this horse to do what he's done, where he's come from, nobody could even dream that it's possible.
"He felt amazing when I trained him, but I never dreamed you could come through the classes like that. I thought I had a really nice racehorse, but I never dreamed we could be here today."
Oakwood Ardan IR, a six-year-old Sweet Lou-Trend Setter gelding, races for Royal Wire Products Inc. Now a 22-time winner from 51 starts, Oakwood Ardan IR has amassed $395,539 in career earnings. He paid $67.80 to win.
In the second division, Maximus Miki skimmed the pegs in the stretch to engulf titans Bythemissal and Ken Hanover en route to a lifetime best-equaling 1:48 score.
Out through the entirety of a :26.3 first quarter, Maximus Miki and driver Andy McCarthy forged to the front midway up the far side before yielding to 4-5 favourite Ken Hanover (David Miller) just past the :54.2 half and being shuffled back a couple more positions as Bythemissal (Gingras) continued uncovered to take the lead with three-eighths to go. Bythemissal threw down a :26.3 third sectional, prompting Miller to vacate the pocket with Ken Hanover off the home turn and opening the door for Maximus Miki to take the short path to victory as the pace ultimately collapsed.
"Once I saw David pull, I said, 'I'm just going to wait here for a second and see what Bythemissal does,'" explained McCarthy. "Once he straightened up, he started to drift a little bit, so I figured I was going to get room up the inside. I waited, got the earplugs out, and away he went."
Maximus Miki darted through a seam at the pegs to secure a clear lead with 150 yards to go, and he evaded a hard-closing Timeisonmyside (Dunn) to win by a diminishing three-quarters of a length. Funtime Bayama (James MacDonald) rallied from deep off the pace to finish third.
"He's shown in the past that he's got the strength and speed, and he's finally starting to prove it now," McCarthy added.
Tom Cancelliere trains Maximus Miki, a six-year-old Always B Miki-Beach Gal gelding with 24 career wins and $533,815 in earnings from 52 starts, for owner John Cancelliere. He paid $31.20 to win.
Twin B Joe Fresh Repeats In Dorothy Haughton
Twin B Joe Fresh and driver Dexter Dunn made a big move on the backstretch to take the lead and never looked back on their way to a 1:48.1 win in Saturday’s $194,521 Grade 2 Dorothy Haughton Memorial for older female pacers at The Meadowlands. Sylvia Hanover and driver Tim Tetrick finished second, 2-1/4 lengths behind the winner, and Walkin On Sunshine was third for Jason Bartlett.
The victory was Twin B Joe Fresh’s second in a row in the Dorothy Haughton Memorial and avenged a loss to Sylvia Hanover in their most recent encounter on June 28 in the Perfect Sting Mare Pace at The Big M.
“Last (time) we just got beat fair and square, I’m not going to make any excuses,” said Chris Ryder, who trains and co-owns Twin B Joe Fresh. “But I was a whole lot more confident tonight. I wasn’t surprised that she was as good as she was here.
“I’m super happy with the mare. It’s just the ride of a lifetime. It’s just fantastic.”
Twin B Joe Fresh, the 2024 Dan Patch Horse of the Year, was fourth from post one in an opening quarter that saw Kobes Gigi (Gingras), My Girl EJ (Todd McCarthy) and Sylvia Hanover all make bids for the front. My Girl EJ was on top at the quarter in :26.1 but Sylvia Hanover, who started from post nine, grabbed the lead soon after on the way to the half in :55.1.
By then, Dunn was already on the move with Twin B Joe Fresh and took control heading into the last turn. They reached three-quarters in 1:22.3 and drew clear in the stretch with a :25.3 sprint home for the mare’s 33rd win in 44 career races.
“There were a few leavers early,” Dunn said. “I’m so lucky with her, she lets you do what you want. We moved down the back and I was just going to ride slowly, but she wanted to carry on and she got around pretty easy. She just felt fantastic on the last turn and when I asked her to quicken, she was like her usual self and took off.”
Twin B Joe Fresh is owned by Ryder, Dunn, Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak. She has won three of four races this season and pushed her career earnings to $3,031,178. The daughter of Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze was bred by Brittany Farms.
Sent off as the 1-5 favourite, Twin B Joe Fresh paid $2.60 to win.
Miki And Minnie Massive In Jerry Silverman Memorial
Driver Dexter Dunn carved a path to the lead out of the second tier and uncorked a monumental 1:48.4 performance in the $172,650 Jerry Silverman Memorial for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Outside starters Wickedpace (Jody Jamieson) and Thebeautifulthings (Kyle Husted) swooped down to the top into a :26.4 first quarter as Rodeo Drive Deo (Miller) hustled outside on the rim towards the front with Miki And Minnie in tow. Rodeo Drive Deo brushed to the lead but Miki And Minnie emerged on top through the shuffle and carried the field to the half in :55.
Miki And Minnie cruised around the final turn while Rodeo Drive Deo angled out of the pocket to take a shot at the leader, but she began to waver spinning off three-quarters in 1:23. The whole field then straggled in the straightaway as Miki And Minnie motored through a :25.4 final quarter to win under wraps by five lengths in 1:48.4. Wickedpace, at long odds, held second with Thebeautifulthings, at even longer odds, taking third. Looksgoodinloulou (Gingras) stormed down the centre of the track for fourth.
“She’s unbelievable,” co-owner Craig Henderson said. “She never quits, she always goes. And there’s a reason Chris Ryder is in the Hall of Fame; this is another example of it. Chris said she’d been training great all week, and when you have Dexter Dunn behind the horse, it’s a good thing.”
Ryder trains Miki And Minnie, a homebred filly by Always B Miki out of the Roll With Joe mare Thats The Ticket, for owners Craig Henderson, Robert Mondillo and Larry Minowitz. She won her fourth race from five starts this season and her 10th race from 16 starts overall, accruing $1,514,199 in earnings. She paid $3.40 to win.
Super Chapter, Go Dog Go Take Winning Steps In Stanley Dancer Memorial
Super Chapter and Go Dog Go recorded speed-smashing victories in their respective editions of the Stanley Dancer Memorial at The Meadowlands as they both eye towards the 100th Hambletonian.
With a commanding mile while facing minimal challenge, Super Chapter – with Dexter Dunn at the reins – won the first of the two $163,699 Stanley Dancer Memorial divisions.
Hidalgo (Yannick Gingras) left for the lead from the inside, but 1-9 favourite Super Chapter eased towards the front out of post four and captured the top spot in a :27 first quarter. Hidalgo sat second ahead of Hard Seven (Todd McCarthy) and Monserrate (David Miller), all while Super Chapter sailed to a :55.1 half.
Holding on to the top spot with ease, Super Chapter was in a smooth groove as the lineup changed when Monserrate left the pylons to go after the leader and Gap Kronos S (Ake Svanstedt) took the live cover behind him. Super Chapter clocked the three-quarters in 1:23.3 and continued to pick up the pace down the stretch. He recorded a :27 final quarter while keeping Monserrate to his rear in a personal-best 1:50.3 mile. Monserrate closed well to finish second, beaten 1-1/4 lengths, and longshot Blank made up sufficient real estate to finish third. Hidalgo held fourth.
Super Chapter, coming from a win in the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown in the Yonkers Trot, is a son of Chapter Seven out of 2014 Hambletonian Oaks winner Lifetime Pursuit. He is owned by Jeff Snyder and Arthur S. Pronti and trained by Marcus Melander. He lifted his lifetime wins to nine from 15 starts and his lifetime earnings to $1,101,043. He paid $2.20 to win.
Mattias Melander, assistant trainer to Marcus Melander, said after the race, "He was super today and is good all around on any track size. He's really no problem and we did not have to make any changes [in equipment] for this one."
The Melander barn adds Super Chapter with Maryland for their shots at the 100th Hambletonian.
Act two of the Stanley Dancer Memorial offered a lot more movement on the two turns than act one. As the gate unfolded, two betting outsiders – Top Gun Hanover (David Miller) and Nordic Catcher S (Svanstedt) – grabbed the leading roles while Go Dog Go followed in front of race-favourite Maryland (Dunn).
The first quarter clocked in at :27.3 as Go Dog Go and Todd McCarthy took to the outside and swished to the top with Maryland picking up his cover. Maryland took over the lead, but the two top betting choices soon locked into a brief duel as Go Dog Go popped back outside as three-quarters flashed 1:24.3.
Go Dog Go lunged forward to stick a head in front of Maryland on the turn for home. McCarthy had Go Dog Go on the outside with plenty of trot left, enough to smack a :26.1 final quarter and repel Maryland by a neck in a lifetime-best 1:50.4. Nordic Catcher S was third and Maximus Mearas S (Scott Zeron) held on for fourth.
“There was a little bit of pressure coming from the outer flow,” Todd McCarthy said. “He felt so good at the time that I really didn’t want to risk getting put in a pocket there, and I felt like the move I made in the backstretch didn’t have to use too much energy. Maryland raced great too, but the way my guy felt I was happy to take my chance there.”
Wiesman Farms LLC and Al Libfeld own the son of Greenshoe-Primary Target. Go Dog Go is trained by Carter Pinske.
"He fought back early," said owner-breeder John Wiseman. When asked about the connections' hopes for Go Dog Go to win the 100th Hambletonian, Wiseman said, "I’m not even going to go down that street. That’s in two weeks. Our first [Grand Circuit] stake win ever was last weekend in the Reynolds, so [he] is very, very special.”
Go Dog Go won all three of his races this season, and this was his fifth win in 13 starts. He goes into the Hambletonian having earned $562,954 lifetime. He paid $4.60 to win.
Yo Tille, What A Bid Hanover Dazzle In Del Miller Memorial
Top betting choices Yo Tillie and What A Bid Hanover took top billing in their respective Del Miller Memorial divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Yo Tillie landed on top of a half-mile shuffle and muscled to another dominant victory in trotting a 1:51 mile to win her $194,795 division of the Del Miller Memorial.
Driver Todd McCarthy accelerated off the wings with Yo Tillie but floated five wide into the first turn. Champagne Problems (Dunn) pushed hardest for the early lead, but relinquished control past a :27 first quarter to Best Friends Girl (Miller) and Deja Blu (Gingras) then loomed forward on the rim with Yo Tillie on her back. Deja Blu took over the lead before Yo Tillie finally thrusted to the top past a :55.1 half.
Though Yo Tillie travelled wide for the entirety of the first half, she began peeling away from the competition on the march to three-quarters in 1:23.3 and spun for home on an open-length lead. Lady Landia (Svanstedt) encroached with a late burst of speed from the back of the pack to grab second, beaten 3-1/2 lengths, while Walspea (Trond Smedshammer) also emerged from the backfield with an outside grind for third.
“I figured there would be a bit of action in that first quarter,” winning driver Todd McCarthy said. “There was a little more than I was hoping, but I think everyone had the same gameplan; they wanted to follow her. It just kind of worked out that we ended up finding the front past the half there.”
A daughter of Tactical Landing out of the Triumphant Caviar mare Consolidator, Yo Tillie stayed unbeaten from three tries this season while collecting her 11th victory from 15 starts, good for $561,570 in earnings. Andrew Harris trains and shares ownership of Yo Tillie with Bill Pollock and Bruce Areman, all of whom acquired this filly from Verlin Yoder after her two-year-old season.
Ineligible to the Hambletonian Oaks, Harris said Yo Tillie’s next targets are the Kentucky Champion Series at The Red Mile followed by the Delmonica Hanover at Pocono Downs and other stakes to which she could supplement late in the year.
Sent off the 1-9 favourite, Yo Tillie paid $2.20 to win.
What A Bid Hanover persisted in a first-over grind to deliver as the 4-5 favourite in her $193,151 Del Miller Memorial division, timed in 1:51.4.
R Dutchess (Tim Tetrick) brushed to the fore after a :27.4 first quarter to grab the lead from longshot Aperfect Annie (Todd McCarthy) moving for the backstretch. Ake Svanstedt meanwhile landed in fourth with What A Bid Hanover and waited until after a :56.2 half to commit to an uncovered move outside.
Flushed first up by Conversano (Andy McCarthy), What A Bid Hanover advanced through the final turn and reached for R Dutchess passing three-quarters in 1:24.2. What A Bid Hanover surged down the stretch to overpower R Dutchess and win by a length in a lifetime-best mile while Conversano gave pursuit behind in third. Torrisi (Gingras) took fourth, elevated via placing, another four lengths behind.
“[We won with] a little luck of course, but I have a really good horse also,” trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt said after the race. “She made it easy and fought to win. I think she’s an all-around horse; she’ll do her best always.”
A daughter of Muscle Hill out of the Donato Hanover mare What A Knockout, What A Bid Hanover won her fifth race from 11 starts and added to her bankroll now worth $609,308 for owners Ake Svanstedt Inc. and SRF Stable. She paid $3.40 to win.
Call Me Goo Narrowly Prevails In Miss Versatility
Following her 1:51.2 win in the Six Pack on June 28, Call Me Goo again parlayed a pocket trip into victory with a 1:51.3 win in the $54,795 third leg of the Miss Versatility series for trotting mares.
In line to trainer Åke Svanstedt, Call Me Goo pushed forward from her pole position to secure the pocket behind stablemate Nelsonbriteagle NO (driven by Dexter Dunn), who cleared from the outside post six to control sectionals of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:24.2 unopposed with her five foes drafting behind her in single-file formation.
Just before cornering for home, Svanstedt angled Call Me Goo off the pegs to take her shot at Nelsonbriteagle NO, and the 5-year-old Googoo Gaagaa-Callmemza mare edged to the lead just inside the eighth pole — but she was far from home free. As Call Me Goo gradually widened her advantage in deep stretch under a Svanstedt hand drive, 51-1 shot Bravo Angel S (Jason Bartlett), who had stalked from fifth for most of the mile, emerged rapidly up the pegs in deep stretch but came up a nose short despite a :26.1 sprint home. Nelsonbriteagle NO was a beaten third, 1-1/4 lengths in arrears.
"The trip was good," said Svanstedt, who shares ownership of 2024 Breeders Crown and divisional O'Brien Award winner Call Me Goo with Graham Grace Stables, William 'Bib' Roberts and Kiwi Stables, after the race. "She can race good from all positions."
Now a 25-time winner from 41 starts, Call Me Goo has banked $1,315,194 in her career. She paid $3.00 to win as the 1-2 favorite.
The wagering on Meadowlands Pace Night was predictably vigorous, as a 2025 track- and industry-best $5,099,674 USD was pushed through the windows on the 14-race program, the fourth time in the last six years that betting busted the $5-million barrier on Pace Night.
(Note: Wagering on North America Cup Night at Woodbine Mohawk Park was $5.7 million, but after adjusting for the exchange rate, that number becomes $4.1 million in American currency.)
The races that took in the most action were the Pace ($622,225) and Dorothy Haughton Memorial ($583,596), combining to take in just over $1.2 million in play.
(Meadowlands)