A star-studded undercard on Meadowlands Pace Night on Saturday, July 11 featured numerous Grand Circuit stakes including the Del Miller Memorial, Stanley Dancer Memorial, Jerry Silverman Memorial, Dorothy Haughton Memorial, William R. Haughton Memorial, Hambletonian Maturity and Miss Versatility Trotting Series.
Nezuko Kamado S, Jailbird Jog score dazzling Del Miller wins
Nezuko Kamado S kept her undefeated sophomore season intact with a lifetime-best 1:50.1 score in the $199,859 first division of the Grade 2 Del Miller Memorial for three-year-old trotting fillies.
Scott Zeron bided his time early with 1-2 favourite Nezuko Kamado S, who landed in third as Lainey W (Dexter Dunn) cleared Southwind Chaska (Tim Tetrick) to control a :27.1 first quarter. Nezuko Kamado S edged off the pegs with nine-sixteenths to go, stuck her head past Lainey W at the end of a :55.2 half and completed her middle move before the far turn.
From that moment, the millionaire Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT filly was never in doubt. She coasted through a :27.3 third quarter uncontested as Leading Lady (Matt Kakaley) failed to pose a threat on the outside, and she had no trouble fending off a late bid from runner-up Southwind Chaska — who found room to take aim on the outside in mid-stretch — by a half length under just mild encouragement. Lainey W was a one-paced third.
"I think she got lonely on the front," said Anders Ström, whose Florida-based Courant Inc. owns and bred Nezuko Kamado S, a winner in all four of her engagements this season to date. "The driver seemed to be very happy with her."
Now a 10-time winner from 15 career starts under the care of trainer Marcus Melander, Nezuko Kamado S stamped herself as a top contender for the Grade 1 Hambletonian Oaks, slated for Aug. 8, at the Big M.
"She was very good last year; she did everything she had to do," continued Ström. "She is a big, powerful mare and she will develop as she goes along hopefully to become one of my best fillies and mares.
"I'm thrilled about the future for her; I'm looking forward to what's going to happen the rest of the season."
Nezuko Kamado S paid $3 to win.
In the $201,620 second division, Jailbird Jog mounted a last-to-first rally in the final three-sixteenths of the mile to post a 1:52 victory as the 7-5 favourite.
In line to James MacDonald, Jailbird Jog sat last in the seven-horse field as Ygritte (Mattias Melander) brushed from third to clear Shes Moni (Zeron) past a :26.3 first quarter and controlled middle splits of :55.1 and 1:24.3. As Isabella Bi (Åke Svanstedt) applied stern first-over pressure to Ygritte on the far turn, MacDonald waited fourth-over with Jailbird Jog before swinging her five-wide off the home turn.
As Ygritte was engulfed by Creator (Dexter Dunn), who swept three-wide off Isabella Bi's cover to take the lead a sixteenth from home, Jailbird Jog was gearing up for her final late push. The Tactical Landing-Miss Don Fanucci S filly cascaded to the lead with 50 yards to go, and her dazzling :26.3 sprint home propelled her three-quarters of a length clear of Creator at the winning post. R Ro (Tyler Buter) sustained mild gains from third-over to finish third.
"I've seen what kind of kick she has off the pace," said MacDonald of the filly who also won the Oak Grove Trotting Oaks in May. "Last week [finishing second by a nose in the Reynolds Stakes], I was impressed with the way she slugged it out first-up, but with the Hambletonian Oaks coming up, I was looking for a tidy trip where I didn't have to use her the whole mile."
Jason McGinnis trains Jailbird Jog for Thestable Jailbird Jog of Brunswick, Ohio, P23 Bloodstock of Etobicoke, Ont., and Hutchison Harness of North Ridgeville, Ohio. The filly was bred by Jorgen Sparredal Inc.
Jailbird Jog, now four-for-seven this year and a seven-time winner in 18 career starts, paid $4.80 to win.
The Del Miller Memorial was sponsored by the Walner Syndicate.
Apex, Endurance take Stanley Dancer divisions on the road to the Hambo
Hambletonian hopefuls Apex and Endurance won their respective divisions of the Grade 3 Stanley Dancer Memorial for three-year-old male trotters, both as favourites and both in 1:52.
The Grade 1 Hambletonian, America’s Trotting Classic for three-year-olds, is Aug. 8 at The Meadowlands. Eliminations, if necessary, are slated for Aug. 1 at The Big M. Apex is No. 1 in Meadowlands announcer/analyst Ken Warkentin’s "Road to the Hambletonian" rankings while Endurance entered Saturday ranked No. 4.
Marcus Melander-trained Apex and driver Dexter Dunn fought off stablemate American Power and James MacDonald in the stretch before pulling away for a 1-1/2-length win in the second Dancer division, going for a purse of $203,732.
Longshot Jim Beam (Tim Tetrick) led the field to the opening quarter in :28.3 before Dunn moved Apex to the top on their way to the half in :57.2. MacDonald and American Power made a first-over bid on the final turn and, after reaching three-quarters in 1:26, pulled even with Apex in the lane. Apex, though, came home in :26 to secure the victory. Inexpressable (Scott Zeron) finished third.
Apex, last year’s divisional Dan Patch Award winner, has won back-to-back starts since a second-place finish by a neck to American Power in his seasonal debut. The millionaire son of Walner-Mission Brief has captured eight of 12 career races for owners Jeff Snyder of New York City, New York, S R F Stable of Delray Beach, Florida and Steve Stewart of Paris, Kentucky. The colt was bred by the Mission Brief Stable.
“I think he’s feeling better and better every week now,” Melander said about Apex. “I feel like he’s in good form at this point and I’m looking forward to the next couple weeks here.
“It’s a long season and I don’t want to peak him too early. I’m very happy with how his schedule has been looking so far. I think we’ll just go straight now to the [Hambletonian] eliminations in three weeks.”
Sent off as the 1-9 favourite, Apex paid $2.20 to win.
In the first Dancer division, going for a purse of $205,493, driver Andrew McCarthy and Endurance posted a half-length win over It Could Be Worse (Tim Tetrick), with Silverstein (Matt Kakaley) another half-length back in third.
It Could Be Worse went to the front from post seven in a :28.2 opening quarter before McCarthy put Endurance in motion from third and grabbed the lead on the way to a :57.3 half. Nix Nacken (Dexter Dunn), who had been parked out from the start, pulled alongside Endurance as they reached three-quarters in 1:25.2, but Endurance turned away that challenge before keeping It Could Be Worse and Silverstein at bay through the stretch.
Endurance, a millionaire son of Captain Corey-Love Session, has four wins in five starts this season for trainer Chris Beaver. He has won three in a row since a second-place finish in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby on May 16.
“I was impressed [in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby]; he went a really tough trip,” said Beaver. “Every race since, he was in pretty soft, but he had plenty of trot every time. Today, he was in with some good horses. He kind of had his way, but it wasn’t really his kind of trip, either.”
For his career, Endurance has won 10 of 13 races. The colt is owned by Super Endurance Stable of Radner, Ohio, Bill Manes of Rockwood, Ont., Leo Fleming of Campbellville, Ont., and Mark Moger of Amelia Island, Florida. He was bred by Steve Stewart and Martti Ala-Seppala.
“I think he’s kind of a special colt,” said Manes. “Chris bought him and asked us if we wanted to be partners with him and he’s turned out to be far more than what we ever expected.”
Sent off as the 3-5 favourite, Endurance paid $3.40 to win.
Loua Dipa prevails in Jerry Silverman showdown
The $253,690 Jerry Silverman Memorial (Grade 3) presented a mighty duel down the stretch from the two favourites in blazing fractions with Loua Dipa and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. getting the nod in a track and stakes record 1:48 victory.
Darlins Angel (Lauren Tritton) made a sharp early move over three leavers to get the top through a steep opening quarter of :26.1. Im A Lou Lou (Tim Tetrick) soon rushed out of third to take the lead with Loua Dipa following her in the outer lane. Loua Dipa smoothly cleared command in the shuffle to a :53.3 half.
Be Perfect BG (Dexter Dunn), parked from the start after floating forward out of post nine, marched uncovered to take on Loua Dipa and that duel burned three-quarters in a fiery 1:20. But Loua Dipa fended off the persistent challenge of slightly favoured Be Perfect BG to the finish by a neck with Darlins Angel zipping up the inside for third.
“I knew it was going to take to the wire [for us] to get there,” said Wrenn Jr. after the race. “Dexter’s horse [Be Perfect BG] raced great, she was out the whole way and she never went away; she was there until the end. These two fillies are going to battle all year.”
Loua Dipa, a millionaire daughter of Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper, is trained by Ron Burke and owned and bred by Burke Racing Stable of Frederickton, Pennsylvania and Weaver Bruscemi of Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania.
She paid $3.80 to win while improving her seasonal record to four-for-five and collecting the 13th victory in her 18-race career.
Her 1:48 win equalled the track record for three-year-old pacing fillies set in 2019 by Tall Drink Hanover, and the time eclipses the 1:48.3 stakes record set in 2021 by Hot Mess Express and matched in 2022 by Max Contract.
Twin B Joe Fresh triples in Dorothy Haughton
The $233,451 Dorothy Haughton Memorial, a Grade 2 mares open pace, was a commanding win for 2024 Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh with her usual guide Dexter Dunn as they took the stakes for the third year in a row.
Unreasonable (Todd McCarthy) left the gate best, getting to the top with Louies Girl N (Jason Bartlett) securing the pocket from the pylon post to the first panel in :26.2. Dunn confidently brushed his charge to the lead into the backstretch, routing her path to a half in :55 with Unreasonable on her tail while her favoured stablemate Miki And Minnie (James MacDonald) ground uncovered up the rim from the back of the pack. Twin B Joe Fresh scooted away from her rivals to three-quarters in 1:23 and was in full control through the stretch to hit the beam in 1:48.4. Unreasonable inched forward late to finish second, beaten a half length, and Miki And Minnie settled for third.
“I hadn’t lost faith in her and I wasn’t looking for her to turn the tables,” said winning trainer Chris Ryder, “but I knew she’d be going forward and as soon as she got to the half in [:]55, it was her race to lose. I’m just so proud of her to win this race three years in a row. I’m almost speechless; it’s fantastic.
"We had a hiccup in Canada – it was mainly the foot and she tied up. I thought she was alright for the Roses Are Red and she wasn’t, but I didn’t lose faith in her. She’s Twin B Joe Fresh and if she’s out there you better watch out!”
Ryder and Dunn share ownership of Twin B Joe Fresh, a six-year-old mare by Roll With Joe out of Fresh Breeze, with Peter Trebotica of Bordentown, New Jersey and Barry Spak of Thornton, Pennsylvania. Bred by Brittany Farms, the career earner of more than $3 million now boasts 38 wins from 54 starts.
She paid $4.60 to win.
Bythemissal blows up the tote board in William R. Haughton for Burke's mega milestone win
Torrid fractions poised double millionaire Bythemissal, driven by Ronnie Wrenn Jr., for a furious bid from last down the center of the track to score the first stakes win of his seven-year-old campaign with a 1:47 upset at 57-1 in the first of two $191,127 divisions of the Grade 2 William Haughton Memorial for open pacers.
With Bythemissal's victory in the Haughton Memorial, Ron Burke reached an historic milestone of 17,000 training wins.
Graduate Series final winner Captain Optimistic (Scott Zeron) barrelled for the lead out of post seven and swooped past early leavers Maximus Miki (Andrew McCarthy) and For Once Inmy Life (Jordan Stratton) to take the top through a :25.1 first quarter.
Odds-on favourite Ervin Hanover (Dexter Dunn) landed in fourth and angled off the pylons in the backstretch but stalled on the rim while Captain Optimistic torched a :52.3 half and maintained that speed to three-quarters in 1:19.4.
Ervin Hanover floundered from the first-up grind rounding for home while Captain Optimistic reached desperately for the line. For Once Inmy Life emerged off the pylons with a late bid before the stands-side pair of Burke trainees Bythemissal and Swingtown (Yannick Gingras) swarmed the front with the strongest momentum late. Bythemissal soared by everyone to win by 1-1/4 lengths with Swingtown second and For Once Inmy Life third.
“It was one of the few races you don’t mind sitting last because they were going to eventually get tired and I knew my horse had a lot of pace,” said Wrenn Jr. after the race. “He’s a really good horse for a reason and he raced great tonight. About halfway down the stretch, [I knew I won] – I knew I had to outpace Swingtown, which is tough in itself because he finished a strong second, but this horse is all class, he knows how to win, he’s done it for many years now and I’m just happy for the horse.”
Winning his second race from eight starts this season and his 33rd race from 65 starts in his career, Bythemissal is approaching the $3 million earnings mark for owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and partners Eric Good of Davidsonville, Maryland and Rich Lombardo Racing of Solon, Ohio. A former Dan Patch Award divisional champion, the Downbytheseaside-Dismissal gelded, who was bred by Stephen Dey, registered his first stakes victory since winning the Joe Auger Memorial at Harrah’s Philadelphia last year, though he did equal the Canadian record later in the year with a lifetime-best 1:46.4 mile winning a Canadian Pacing Derby elimination.
The win also marked a milestone moment for the sport's all-time leading trainer.
“I just told him congrats – actually, he told me because I didn’t know he was one away,” said Wrenn Jr. of Burke's achievement. “I’m just happy to be part of the team and to be able to drive some of these great horses, and I’m happy for him too. He deserves it.”
“It’s a lot of wins, a lot of losses, but I’m very proud of it,” Burke said later. “I love to think I could get to 20,000 but that’s a long way. That’s my goal – to keep pushing to at least there.”
Bythemissal, sent off as the longest shot on the board, paid a whopping $116.20 to win.
Lou Hill bagged the other division of the William Haughton Memorial with a 1:47.2 career-best effort.
Driver Yannick Gingras grabbed the early lead with Lou Hill before yielding command as Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett) circled from second to the lead through a :27 first quarter.
Fallout (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) then tipped off the cones and brushed towards the lead to push the tempo to a :53.1 half while Ken Hanover (Tim Tetrick) pulled out of fourth to advance uncovered towards the lead.
Lou Hill sat locked in the shuffle as Ken Hanover drew alongside Fallout, but with favourite Captain Albano (Todd McCarthy) gapping cover from second-over, Gingras had clearance to tip Lou Hill outside coming to three-quarters in 1:20.2.
Lou Hill then swung off cover and surged past Ken Hanover to win by 1-1/2 lengths with Captain Albano giving chase in third and Coaches Corner settling for fourth.
“He’s actually been pretty good all along and a very uncomplicated horse,” said winning trainer Per Engblom after the race. “We can train him hard and he’s doing well training, nice and sound and likes to race. When he was second at Miami Valley [in the Pacey Mindlin Memorial], I thought he was a horse for the top class.”
A five-year-old gelding by Sweet Lou out of Pretty Katherine, Lou Hill won his eighth race from 13 starts this season and his 21st race from 52 starts in his career for owner/breeder Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ont.
He paid $10.80 to win as the 4-1 third choice.
On To Norway goes the distance in Hambletonian Maturity
After taking on all comers in the Hoosier State as a sophomore, Indiana sensation On To Norway has proven worthy of the Grand Circuit stage so far in his four-year-old season, following up his North American record 1:48.3 score in last week's Grade 2 Graduate Series final with a gutsy 2:04.3 victory over 1-1/8 miles in the $598,592 E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity for four-year-old trotters.
The millionaire Muscle Massive-One Class Act gelding made headlines with his 27-race win streak that stretched through June 12, and his victory over 12 rivals in the Maturity was his first Grade 1 triumph.
On To Norway, driven by Yannick Gingras, was widest of six early leavers in the long approach to the first turn and worked clear of Super Chapter (Dexter Dunn) to take charge after the :26.3 first quarter. Once On To Norway cleared, he pulled the tempo back to a :56 half-mile before Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy) made steady gains out of midfield to take first-over aim at On To Norway through the far turn while Super Chapter kept close tabs from the pocket.
After hitting three-quarters in 1:24.1, as On To Norway accelerated to shrug off Go Dog Go turning for home and opened a two-length cushion at the eighth pole, Dunn found room to hook Super Chapter three-wide around Go Dog Go and in front of Greenma (Trond Smedshammer), who gapped second-over cover.
As was the case in the Graduate final, On To Norway was tasked with fending off a late push from Super Chapter, and the Ron Burke trainee again proved up to the assignment, parrying last year's Dan Patch Award divisional winner by a diminishing neck. Delaney Hanover (Scott Zeron), one of four mares in the field, finished third, another 3-3/4 lengths behind, after saving ground just off the front flight.
"To have the fastest trotter ever in North America is unreal," said New Jersey's Frank Baldachino, who owns On To Norway in partnership with Burke Racing Stable, Black And White Stable of Milroy, Indiana and Michael Rosenthal of Las Vega, Nevada. "He comes out east and puts in performances like that; he's just an incredible animal."
Bred by Bennett Farms Inc Of Mi, On To Norway is now a 33-time winner from 40 starts and to say that he has exceeded his connections' expectations would be a major understatement.
"When we bought him, I was hoping he'd be a good Indiana Sires Stakes horse," continued Baldachino. "And for him to pay off winning these Grand Circuit stakes is the biggest bonus ever."
As the 8-5 second choice, On To Norway paid $5.40 to win.
Miss Versatility Trotting Series Continues
Woman Of Passion displayed explosive late trot to gun down 2025 Hambletonian Oaks champion Conversano at the wire in the $56,338 third leg of the Miss Versatility for open mare trotters.
The five-year-old daughter of Walner-Womans Will, who was sent to the gate at odds of 12-1 in her series debut, was driven by Scott Zeron and is trained by Carter Pinske for owner Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont. She returned $26.20 to her backers after completing the mile in 1:51.1, winning by a nose over Conversano (Lauren Tritton). Bravo Angel S (Jason Bartlett) was a neck back in third while favoured Yo Tillie (Todd McCarthy) finished fourth.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)