Over the last few weeks trainer Mark Harder’s stock has been hitting at an extremely high level. The conditioner has some aged horses among the group but most notable was the appearance of a large supply of 3-year-olds ready at first asking. Generally Harder’s stock has a solid percentage, but this year his UTRS has swelled to an eye-catching .438 with more than 100 starters already and 30 plus victories. “I’m not doing anything different,” said Harder. “I have a lot of young horses that are returning and are winning races they are supposed to.” That may be the easiest explanation yet there are countless other conditioners that bring back horses to the races and don’t have numbers to support such a theory. Harder has done an outstanding job with his 33-horse stable and the fruits of that labor are showing. Most of the power in the Harder youth movement comes on the pacing side, with Wes Delight, a son of Bettor’s Delight, likely the brightest light in the barn. Wes Delight finished a solid second behind Dorsoduro Hanover last Saturday in the first round of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action at The Meadows in a 1:50 3/5 mile. “I thought he was the best in there,” said Harder. “Who expected Pedro Hanover to stop in front of him?” Wes Delight had worked out a pocket trip behind the defending Pennsylvania champion but lost momentum when the winner took over late on the final turn. Wes Delight had prepped well for his stakes debut winning an overnight event at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:51 3/5 on April 25. Harder’s stance on how to bring back his top horses appears to vary some from what other trainers have been doing. “I can’t see qualifying those big miles at The Meadowlands,” said Harder. “I would much rather qualify them a little slower and race them into shape in Pennsylvania.” While many of the leading trainers have looked to go in the 1:50 range in qualifiers before entering for a purse, Harder just can’t see doing the same. “I know that other trainers like Takter and Alagna have success going that route but it’s just something I can ‘t do,” said Harder. Wes Delight is coming back strongly after a productive year but one that Harder thought could have been even better. “He had that one race at The Meadows last August where he made three moves. He never quite recovered from that,” said Harder. That race saw Pedro Hanover sweep the field in a 1:51 mile with Wes Delight second after doing more than his fair share of the work to set up the clocking. Harder is happy with the way Wes Delight has returned and is looking forward to the big dances. “We’ve got him eligible for everything,” said Harder. As for this Saturday, when Wes Delight is the early choice in one of three Reynolds divisions at Yonkers Raceway, “He’ll get around the half-miler fine.” It may be a little early but thus far Art Dancer has been impressive winning five of his six starts after a brief 2-year-old season. A 1:52 winner in the Stallion Series at The Meadows this past Saturday, the son of A Rocknroll Dance may have a future. “I thought he could have been a little bit better last week,” said Harder, hoping to see the gelding finishing his miles better. On the filly side of the ledger is a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere by the name of Serene Stride. “I’m not sure how good she is,” said Harder. “I’m hopeful she will keep getting better.” Serene Stride has won her first two starts of 2018 both from outside posts, including a 1:53 mile at Harrah’s Philadelphia. “She had some nice races early but then colicked,” said Harder. Serene Stride had two third-place finishes in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action early in the year but was never able to get untracked after that. “We eventually had to do the surgery on her,” said Harder. Serene Stride, an $80,000 yearling purchase, hails from a family known for producing high quality pacing mares. In her immediate family is a pair of $500K winners in Southwind Swallow and Southwind Silence. Harder is optimistic Serene Stride could be a nice stakes filly as she continues to develop. On the trotting side, Harder has a pair of well-bred juveniles that have returned to action for their sophomore season. Both Lily Stride and Mooshka Stride were well regarded last year but never quite made the headlines in a division that included the incomparable Manchego and her rival Phaetosive. Lily Stride, a daughter of Muscle Hill, did finish on the board in 11 of her 13 races and earned in excess of $256K as a freshman. Lily Stride debuted last week at Harrah’s and finished a solid second in a 1:54 mile against returning 4-year-old Moonshiner Hanover. “I was happy with her first start,” said Harder. “She’ll go next in the Sire Stakes at The Meadows on Saturday (May 12).” Further plans for Lily Stride are a late schedule pointing her for the Meadowlands stakes races in July and August. Mooshka Stride, the more expensive of the two fillies at $260,000 (Lily Stride $220,000), never quite got the hang of it last year on the Grand Circuit but did take a 1:55 mark in a Kindergarten leg at The Meadowlands. “We’re going to keep her on the New York Sire Stakes circuit early on,” said Harder of Mooshka Stride, who finished third on Tuesday in the first leg at Yonkers. Previously the daughter of Credit Winner and first foal of the $1.9 million winning Check Me Out, had captured an overnight in 1:56 4/5 at Yonkers. The veteran pacing mare Blue Moon Stride was third behind Shartin N in last Monday’s Chip Noble Memorial at Miami Valley. “I thought she should have been second. She gets very scrambly around that track,” said Harder. Blue Moon Stride is approaching the $1 million mark in career earnings and Harder expects her to be competitive against the top mares this year. Like most trainers, Harder tries not to get too excited about 2-year-old pacers in his stable at this time of year. “I’ve got a brother to Wes Delight by Mach Three that I like a lot,” said Harder referring to Three West, a $42,000 yearling purchased at the Lexington Selected sale last fall.