MGM Yonkers Trot winner Super Chapter, Dan Patch and O’Brien awards winner Maryland, and multiple stakes winners Emoticon Legacy and Go Dog Go were among 21 horses entered Tuesday for the 100th edition of the Hambletonian Stakes for three-year-old trotters at The Meadowlands.
Three $83,550 USD eliminations will be held Saturday, July 26 at The Big M. The top three finishers from each elim plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest lifetime earnings will advance to the $1 million Grade 1 Hambletonian final on Aug. 2.
Elim winners will draw for post positions one through six followed by the remaining finalists receiving their posts in an open draw. The draws for the Hambletonian and companion filly event, the $500,000 USD Grade 1 Hambletonian Oaks, will be conducted July 29 during a luncheon hosted by Carson Kressley from 2-5 p.m. at The Chateau Grande in East Brunswick, N.J.
Twenty-three horses entered the Hambletonian Oaks, resulting in three $50,000 USD eliminations Saturday at The Meadowlands. As with the Hambletonian, the top three finishers from each group plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest lifetime earnings will advance to the $500,000 USD final on Aug. 2.
Super Chapter, the No. 1-ranked horse in Meadowlands announcer/analyst Ken Warkentin’s Road to the Hambletonian, and Maryland were among five trotting colts entered by trainer Marcus Melander. The others were Battle of Bunker Hill winner Variegated, Blank and Meshuggah.
Unbeaten in four races this year, Super Chapter won the first jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown, the Yonkers Trot, in June at MGM Yonkers Raceway. The Hambletonian is the second jewel, followed by the Kentucky Futurity in October. Nine horses have captured the Trotting Triple Crown since its inception in 1955, the most recent being Marion Marauder in 2016.
Super Chapter will leave from post four with driver Dexter Dunn in the second of the three eliminations. He heads to the race off a career-best 1:50.3 win in a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 12 at The Meadowlands. He defeated Monserrate, another Hambletonian hopeful, by 1-1/4 lengths.
The son of stallion Chapter Seven has hit the board in 13 of 15 career races, winning nine and earning $1,101,043. His dam, Lifetime Pursuit, won the 2014 Hambletonian Oaks.
Super Chapter’s stablemate Variegated, who finished second in the Yonkers Trot, is in the same elimination. He will leave from post five. The field also includes Onajetplane, who won a division of the Tompkins-Geers last week at The Meadowlands. He will start from post six for trainer Noel Daley.
The first elimination features the season’s fastest three-year-old trotter, Emoticon Legacy, who will start from post two with Louis-Philippe Roy in the sulky for trainer Luc Blais. Emoticon Legacy is unbeaten in three races this year, with his victories including the final of the Goodtimes Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park and the Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial at Vernon Downs, where he defeated Maryland and Meshuggah.
Meshuggah is also in the first elimination, leaving from post three with Scott Zeron listed to drive, as is Monserrate, who finished second to Super Chapter in their Dancer Memorial division. Monserrate, last year’s Valley Victory winner, will start from post four with David Miller driving for trainer Andrew Harris.
The third elimination finds Maryland leaving from post seven with driver Dunn for trainer Melander. Maryland has three second-place finishes in three starts this season, with his setbacks coming to Super Chapter, Emoticon Legacy and, most recently, Go Dog Go by a neck in their Dancer Memorial division.
Last year, Maryland finished his season by winning five consecutive Grand Circuit stakes, including the Mohawk Million and a Breeders Crown, on his way to earning $1,675,697 – a total that led all of harness racing.
Starting from post three in the third elim is Go Dog Go, with Todd McCarthy driving for trainer Carter Pinske. Go Dog Go is perfect in three races this season, with his win in the Dancer Memorial coming in a career-best 1:50.4. New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Hidalgo is the richest horse in the field, with $215,275, and will start from post two with Yannick Gingras driving for trainer Ron Burke.
The Hambletonian eliminations are races six, eight and 10.
Among the sophomore trotting fillies, Conversano is the season’s richest, with $286,483 , and will start from post one in the third elimination for the Hambletonian Oaks. Andrew McCarthy will drive for trainer Juan Cano.
Conversano has hit the board in all seven of her races, winning five, including the New Jersey Sire Stakes championship and a division of the W.N. Reynolds Memorial, both at The Meadowlands. Her mark of 1:51.3 is the fastest among the 23 Oaks hopefuls and second fastest of the season for a three-year-old trotting filly.
Also in the third elimination is Zweig Memorial Filly winner Torrisi, who will start from post seven for trainer Nancy Takter.
The first elimination features Breeders Crown champ Lady Landia, who made her 2025 debut on July 12 in a division of the Del Miller Memorial at The Big M. She finished second to Yo Tillie, who was not eligible to the Oaks. Lady Landia will leave from post seven with trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt.
Dan Patch Award-winner Champagne Problems, another filly from the Takter Stable, will start from post three in the first elim. R Dutchess, who has a win and three seconds in four races this year, will leave from post one for trainer John Butenschoen. She missed by a head against Conversano in their Reynolds division and was second to What A Bid Hanover in their Miller Memorial split.
What A Bid Hanover, last season’s Goldsmith Maid winner, is in the second Oaks elimination. She will start from post six with trainer Svanstedt in the sulky. In the race prior to her Miller triumph, she missed by a neck against Torrisi in the Zweig.
The elimination also includes Miss Belmar, who won a division of the Tompkins-Geers last week at The Meadowlands. She will leave from post five with Andrew McCarthy in the sulky for trainer Daley.
The Hambletonian Oaks eliminations are races seven, nine and 11. Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. (EDT).
Following are the fields for the $83,550 USD Hambletonian eliminations, with horse, listed driver, and trainer:
Elimination One, Race 6
PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer
1. Fashion Green – Tim Tetrick – Jim Campbell
2. Emoticon Legacy – Louis-Philippe Roy – Luc Blais
3. Meshuggah – Scott Zeron – Marcus Melander
4. Monserrate – David Miller – Andrew Harris
5. Greenma – Trond Smedshammer – Trond Smedshammer
6. Mr Mouton – Dexter Dunn – Ake Svanstedt
7. Blank – Scott Zeron – Marcus Melander
Elimination Two, Race 8
PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer
1. Grande Via – David Miller – Andrew Harris
2. Gimpanzee Dancer – Aaron Merriman – Chris Beaver
3. Gap Kronos S – Yannick Gingras – Ake Svanstedt
4. Super Chapter – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander
5. Variegated – Andrew McCarthy – Marcus Melander
6. Onajetplane – Andrew McCarthy – Noel Daley
7. Maximus Mearas S – Scott Zeron – Lucas Wallin
Elimination Three, Race 10
PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer
1. Nordic Catcher S – Ake Svanstedt – Ake Svanstedt
2. Hidalgo – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke
3. Go Dog Go – Todd McCarthy – Carter Pinske
4. Landing On Time – James MacDonald – Rick Zeron
5. Go Ahead Makemyday – David Miller – Blake MacIntosh
6. The Rogue Prince – Tim Tetrick – Lucas Wallin
7. Maryland – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander
Following are the fields for the $50,000 USD Hambletonian Oaks eliminations, with horse, listed driver, and trainer:
Elimination One, Race 7
PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer
1. R Dutchess – Tim Tetrick – John Butenschoen
2. Lasting Dream – Louis-Philippe Roy – Luc Blais
3. Champagne Problems – Dexter Dunn – Nancy Takter
4. Delaney Hanover – Scott Zeron – Lucas Wallin
5. Kadena – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander
6. Sound Judgement – Kevin Oscarsson – Jim Oscarsson
7. Lady Landia – Ake Svanstedt – Ake Svanstedt
Elimination Two, Race 9
PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer
1. Luna Lovegood – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander
2. Voguish – Todd McCarthy – Andrew Harris
3. Deja Blu – Yannick Gingras – Nancy Takter
4. Walspea – Trond Smedshammer – Trond Smedshammer
5. Miss Belmar – Andrew McCarthy – Noel Daley
6. What A Bid Hanover – Ake Svanstedt – Ake Svanstedt
7. R Lady W – Scott Zeron – Linda Toscano
8. Grand Reserve – Todd McCarthy – Mark Steacy
Elimination Three, Race 11
PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer
1. Conversano – Andrew McCarthy – Juan Cano
2. Dearly Beloved – David Miller – Jenny Melander
3. R Cee Cee – James MacDonald – John Butenschoen
4. Aperfect Annie – Todd McCarthy – Carter Pinske
5. R Charm – Scott Zeron – Linda Toscano
6. EL Nightwish – Dexter Dunn – Lucas Wallin
7. Torrisi – Todd McCarthy – Nancy Takter
8. Goodgirl Bi IT – Mattias Melander – Marcus Melander
In celebration of the 100th edition of America's greatest harness race, the Hambletonian Society, Meadowlands Racetrack, and Ghost Hawk Brewing Company have again teamed up to provide fans and guests with Trotter’s Gold 2025.
Labeled “Trotters Gold”, the Clifton, NJ-based brewery has produced a 5% ABV American Golden Ale brewed with Pilsner malt and Mt. Hood hops to create a balance between cereal grain flavors and floral, soft, and spicy notes.
The beer label pays homage to race’s 100-year history with Rysdyk’s Hambletonian and the Hambletonian trophy prominently featured. It is available for sale at the racetrack.
(USTA & Meadowlands)