The Meadowlands will again host some of the sport’s top prospects, but this time with an expanded roster of stakes talent hitting the track.
A 16-qualifier session on Saturday morning (April 24) begins with three-year-old trotting fillies, with $400,000 yearling and full-sister to The Ice Dutchess, The Ice Countess ($2,500, 1:56.3M), going to post. Todd McCarthy will steer the Tony Alagna trainee as she makes just the fourth start of her career. She’ll be followed in the next qualifier by several other prominent Hambletonian Oaks eligible including Hello I Love You ($105,987, 1:54.2M), Illuminata ($131,933, 1:54.4F) and Pub Crawl ($225,725, 1:53.4M).
Breeders Crown elimination winner and final runner-up In Range ($411,003, 1:54.1S) returns to the track in the third qualifier against Peter Haughton winner Zenith Stride ($226,168, 1:53.2M), who will go his second qualifying mile of the year. Tim Tetrick steers In Range for trainer Marcus Melander, while Brian Sears will handle the reins of Zenith Stride for conditioner Mark Harder.