HARNESS RACING!

HAMBLETONIAN QUALIFIERS




The Meadowlands played host to 10 qualifiers on Saturday morning (5/24/2025), with some of last year's top stars out for a spin around the mile oval.

One star in particular is last year's 2yo sensation Maryland.


However, the up-and-coming 3yo star is Go Dog Go.


Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy) won the opener that was full of Hambletonian eligibles, as the Carter Pinske-trained son of Greenshoe pulled two-wide out of third before three-quarters, stormed into the lead in the lane and pulled clear to defeat Gap Kronos S (Ake Svanstedt) by 4 3/4 lengths with a 26 2/5 final kicker.

Dan Patch Award winner Maryland (Dexter Dunn) was kept quiet at the back of the five-horse field, angled out in the lane and passed one horse. He was timed in 1:56 2/5 with a 27 2/5 final kicker.

Java Jukebox, an unraced son of Muscle Hill, won qualifier #2 on the front-end in 1:54 4/5 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke by a length over Blank (Dunn), who was a two-time stakes winner at The Red Mile last year.

Both colts [Java Jukebox and Blank] are Hambletonian eligibles, as is third-place finisher Portobarosso As (Andy Miller).

On the filly trot side, Hambletonian Oaks eligibles Tacky Sugar (Dexter Dunn / Marcus Melander) and R Lady W (Scott Zeron / Linda Toscano) captured their qualifiers in 1:57 and 1:56, respectively.

Tacky Sugar is by Tactical Landing while R Lady W is a daughter of Walner.



Another Hambletonian Oaks eligible horse that won her qualifying race is 3-year-old Captaintreacherous filly Ronstadt, a Tony Alagna trainee, from the two-hole in 1:53 1/5.


Strutsville, a 3-year-old daughter of Huntsville who won three legs and was second in the final of the Bobby Weiss Series over at Pocono, completed the qualifiers by prevailing on the lead in 1:53 1/5 for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Ron Coyne Jr.

Personally, I have my eyes on Maryland as he works his way to the Hambletonian which is scheduled to take place in first Saturday in August 2025.

So I hope he keeps improving by August so that I can play him in the Hambleton.



LOOKING AHEAD TO THE MEADOWLAND PACE FOR FOUR-OLD AND OLDER


The Meadowlands Pace is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 12, 2025, and it is considered to be the Biggest Party in Harness Racing -- other than the Hambletonian.

But before then, there are prep races for the Meadowlands Pace that we can look forward to this weekend, in which, the Graduate Series for four-year-old pacers and trotters returns with the first $75,000 USD leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, May 31 (2025) followed by two June legs at The Meadowlands leading into the $250,000 finals on Pace elimination night, July 5, 2025.

So first thing first is this weekend at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, May 31 (2025).

Please check out the entries for this weekend's Woodbine Mohawk card for yourself.

Stay tuned!