Super Chapter, a colt who is undefeated in five starts this year, is the 5-2 morning line favourite in the field of 10 contesting the 100th edition of the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands racetrack on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Despite his undefeated record in 2025, Super Chapter will have a new driver for the Hambletonian. When his regular driver, Dexter Dunn, opted to drive Maryland — last year’s Two-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year — Super Chapter was paired with Yannick Gingras, who won last year’s Hambletonian with Karl.
“I learned I might have a chance to drive either Super Chapter or Maryland last Saturday, after the Hambletonian eliminations,” Gingras shared. “Marcus (trainer Marcus Melander) told me he had to talk to the owners of each horse first, and if they were okay with me, then Dexter would get first choice and I would drive the horse he didn’t pick. Then Sunday night, when I was racing in Lexington, he told me I would have the chance to drive one of those two, but I wouldn’t know which one until Dexter made his decision about who he would drive. I committed to drive if I got one of those horses.”
Gingras sees the Hambletonian as a very competitive race.
“I have thought all along that it is a six-horse race,” he said. “And then the top contenders all drew well for post positions, except for Go Dog Go. Everybody knows how hard it is to win the Hambletonian.”
As is often typical for driving a horse in a top race, Gingras will not have a pre-race strategy. Melander said Super Chapter is an easy horse to drive.
“He is a horse than can do it [win] from anywhere,” said Marcus Melander. “He can come from off the pace, he can be close up. He just is push-button and does anything you ask him to do. He can also do it on any type of track and he has proven that.”
Gingras said that two days before the Hambletonian, he watched replays of all of Super Chapter’s races.
“I have raced against him, but watching the replays, just focusing on him, I loved what I saw,” said Gingras. “I talked to Scotty Zeron (the only person besides Dunn to previously drive Super Chapter) and he said he’s like driving a sports car.”
Although trained by Melander, a Swede, Super Chapter is owned by Americans Jeffrey Snyder, Arthur Pronti and Hanover Shoe Farms, which also bred the colt. Super Chapter is a son of 2012 Horse of the Year Chapter Seven, and his dam is the 2014 Hambletonian Oaks winner Lifetime Pursuit. With his pedigree and physique, Hanover sold Super Chapter as a yearling for $300,000.
In early July, Hanover Shoe Farms, the perennial leading breeder of Standardbred horses, bought back an interest in Super Chapter, obviously interested in acquiring a stallion for breeding purposes. Hanover is also the leading breeder of Hambletonian winners with 11 champions hailing from the Pennsylvania nursery.
Melander is hoping one of his four Hambletonian entries will give him first victory in the race on Saturday.
“I think we have him in great condition with for this race. He’s not a big horse but he’s so well put together and well-gaited he looks larger on the track. I’m really looking forward to to Saturday.”
When Hambletonian morning-line favorite Super Chapter went through the auction ring at the 2023 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, he looked like he could be a champion and fetched a $300,000 price.
“He had it all as far as pedigree and his looks go,” said Jeffrey Snyder, who shares ownership of Super Chapter with Arthur Pronti and Hanover Shoe Farms. “His mother (Lifetime Pursuit) did win the Hambletonian Oaks, and he did have class about him.”
In training with Marcus Melander, Super Chapter quickly returned dividends. He was second in his career debut on June 24, 2024, in a leg of the New York Sire Stakes at Saratoga behind the Ake Svanstedt-trained, steered and favoured Mr Mouton.
Super Chapter broke his maiden in his next engagement at Vernon Downs on July 4, 2024, prior to collecting his second victory at Yonkers Raceway on July 25. Melander then shipped his charge to compete in the Kentucky Championship Series at The Red Mile where he collected his third consecutive triumph in a second $80,000 leg of that event on Aug. 5.
The colt came home third in as the favorite in the third leg of that series on Aug. 18 with regular pilot Dexter Dunn at the controls. He then finished seventh in the 2024 New York Sire Stakes Final for his age, gait and sex on Sept. 7 after making a break behind the gate.
Upon his return to the Bluegrass, Super Chapter rebounded with a triumph over Go Dog Go, who he will face yet again this weekend in the Hambletonian, in a convincing 1:52.1 performance.
Super Chapter then collected another victory in a division of the International Stallion Stakes over fellow Hambletonian competitor Maximus Mearas S in 1:52. That foe turned the tables on Super Chapter in their Breeders Crown elimination at The Meadowlands on Oct. 19. The colt would finish an even fifth in the final the following week with David Miller in the bike behind defending champion two-year-old Maryland, Maximus Mearas S, Go Dog Go and Blank. All of whom he will face again in the Hambletonian starting gate.
Super Chapter concluded his freshman campaign with a second to Monserrate as the favourite in the 2024 Valley Victory Final on Nov. 30 at The Meadowlands. For his two-year-old season the colt possessed a resume of 11-5-2-1 and banked $715,113.
Did he require a little time off to grow into himself for his sophomore campaign? Maybe so, as Super Chapter is a perfect five-for-five this season, including a victory over stablemate and New York champion, Variegated, in the 2025 MGM Yonkers Trot, the first leg of the Trotting Triple Crown, on June 27, a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial on July 13 in a lifetime best 1:50.3, and his Hambletonian elimination last week while never seriously challenged.
Snyder has been involved in harness racing decades at an elite level and is primarily known for his ownership of pacers. In fact, Snyder has collected trophies for many of the harness racing’s most prestigious events while owning and breeding some fabulous horses.
The list includes: Rocknroll Hanover, Well Said, Cams Card Shark, Royal Flush Hanover, Michaels Power, Village Jolt, Dealt A Winner, Aetos Kronos, Michelles Power, Macs Jackpot, Red River Hanover, Million Dollar Cam, Beyond Delight, Michaels Marvel, Date Night Hanover and Alexas Power.
Their stakes wins include four North America Cups, three Meadowlands Paces, three Little Brown Jugs, three editions of the Adios, two Metros Paces and number of Breeders Crowns.
A resident of New York City, Snyder has owned two Horses of the Year: the pacers Cams Card Shark and Rocknroll Hanover. Snyder, however, has recently been focusing his purchasing power and selective eye on trotters. Naturally, he has a solid foundation for that decision.
“I met trainer Jerry Riordan several years ago,” he said. “Jerry is an American trainer based in Europe that has enjoyed great success, primarily in Italy and Sweden, for my son Michael. Michael really enjoys European racing and I understand why as horses seem to have much more longevity there.
“We have a horse, Aetos Kronos, who earned $1.34 million in Europe, and we have brought him here to race. We are very excited to see how he will perform and we really enjoy the fact trotters possess a much greater audience world-wide.”
Snyder also continues to invest in the future as he owns Apex (Walner-Mission Brief, sold for $729,167 at the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale) and Spencer Hanover (Chapter Seven-Secret Passion, sold for $608,108 at the 2024 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale). Secret Passion is a half sibling to millionaire In Secret and to three-time Dan Patch Award winner and world champion Manchego ($3.2 million).
“We’ll just take it one race at a time,” Snyder said in regards to a path to the Triple Crown. “Simply being in the Hambletonian is so thrilling with Super Chapter. I can’t imagine how exciting it would be to win a Trotting Triple Crown. These are the kinds of races you dream about winning when you become involved in this industry. The horses are what makes those dreams come true.”
Racing begins at 12 noon on Saturday at The Meadowlands. The Hambletonian Oaks is race 10, with a post time of 3:37 p.m. and the Hambletonian is race 12, with a post time of 4:47 p.m. Coverage of Hambletonian Day will air on FOX Sports from 3-6 p.m.
For free program pages for Saturday's card at The Meadowlands, click here.
(Hambletonian Society)