Harness: Meadowlands Pace disqualification was a clear-cut call

"I knew he was coming down."

That's how driver Braxten Boyd described his mindset during a long inquiry that would eventually decide the outcome of the 2025 Meadowlands Pace. Though just 25 years old, Boyd has plenty of experience, and he knew what he had just gone through attempting to bring Madden Oaks to the finish line first in the last quarter-mile.

"He panicked," said Boyd describing Todd McCarthy's course change behind Prince Hal Hanover that would inevitably put a wheel in contact with Madden Oaks, force Boyd to check up thwarting his obvious momentum, and put the results in the hands of the Judges instead of the photo finish camera.

Certainly, the results of the Meadowlands Pace deserved a long inquiry and thanks to modern technology the betting public as well as horsemen got numerous chances to view what the Judges were looking at. While nearly everything in our society tends to be up for debate, I find it impossible to conclude that McCarthy wasn't guilty of trying to squeeze Boyd off the racetrack and eliminate his opportunity to pass. To Boyd's credit, he never crossed inside of a pylon for room and kept a straight course for Madden Oaks in the process. Prince Hal Hanover on the other hand had drifted wide, with some estimates concluding he was in the three-path at head-stretch. McCarthy moved his horse closer to the rail in quick order, but Boyd had already established a lane for himself and would find the going tighter and tighter as Prince Hal Hanover and McCarthy struggled to maintain the lead.

Obvious comparisons have been made to the irony that befell trainer Dr. Ian Moore, who in 2021 had his Lawless Shadow elevated to the top spot when Charlie May was taken down for an alleged incident that had nothing to do with Lawless Shadow. In the 2025 edition the best two horses were involved in a spirited duel and only a course change by Moore's Prince Hal Hanover prevented Madden Oaks from rightfully crossing the wire first. There should be no asterisk or court proceeding required to confirm that notion.

"I was going to win the race a million percent," said Boyd on Sunday (July 13) when asked.

Boyd's experience in major races over the last month has helped elevate his stature in the sport and he has clearly shown the maturity to handle the moment. His drive in the Meadowlands Pace was every bit as good, if not better, than how he handled Madden Oaks in a slim loss last month to Louprint in the North America Cup.

"I didn't want to keep rolling after a 26 first quarter," said Boyd. "That's why I was happy when Todd regained. "I knew those were the two best horses in the race."

Boyd marveled at Madden Oaks' progress from a lightly-raced 2-year-old to an improving yet still learning sophomore that perhaps has just hinted at what kind of greatness lay ahead for this Cameron Capone-trained son of Huntsville.

In just two short months Madden Oaks has elevated his game from a second-place finish in non-winners of two at Tioga Downs on May 17 to the winner's circle on the sport's biggest stage this past Saturday night in the Meadowlands Pace.

While Louprint recovers and hopes to regain top form later this year, Madden Oaks has clearly arrived at the top of the sophomore class. That's undeniable from what we have witnessed on the sport's biggest stages.

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While McCarthy had to lose a big one in the Meadowlands Pace, his future looks bright sitting behind Go Dog Go, who powered past Maryland in a Stanley Dancer division and put himself in a top-three position heading into the Hambletonian eliminations slated for July 26. What's fascinating about this year's build-up to the 100th edition of the sport's signature race is that all the preps give indication that trainers and drivers are waiting until the big day to let all the strategy and horsepower play out.

None of the preliminary stakes have been battles. All have been gentlemanly-like affairs with the best horses not tested until the final quarter-mile sprints.

The undefeated Fashion Green returned to action at Harrah's Philadelphia on Friday (July 11) to win for just the second time this year in a career-best 1:52 3/5 clocking. The Jim Campbell-trained son of Greenshoe could give that sire a big one-two punch in the Hambletonian along with Go Dog Go.

Elista Hanover was brilliant in her mile and one-eighth dominating performance in the Hambletonian Maturity. That said, it's hard to imagine that she really trotted through a 25 1/5 first quarter-of-a-mile. A 1:49 3/5 mile time in advance of the 2:03 final time for the one and one-eighths mile contest would be incredible if accurate.

Fresh off his induction into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame, trainer Chris Ryder saw his pair of female pacers recapture the aura that may have been lost slightly by recent defeats. Twin B Joe Fresh caught her conqueror Sylvia Hanover's attention, wandering at the half-mile pole to circle that mare and go on to her second straight Dorothy Haughton title. Driver Tim Tetrick tried to revive Sylvia Hanover, but she couldn't shift gears fast enough and would be chasing her rival at a distance the final quarter. Ryder's sophomore filly Miki And Minnie was out-kicked by Rodeo Drive Deo in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on June 21 at Pocono. In Saturday's Jerry Silverman Memorial, David Miller drove Rodeo Drive Deo as if he thought she was the best of the two sophomore fillies. When Miller pulled the pocket on Miki And Minnie, driver Dexter Dunn set the daughter of Always B Miki in motion, and she powered home in a 25 4/5 final quarter to separate herself in another dominant performance.

It was refreshing to see an abundance of quality performances by Meadowlands media as they canvassed the backstretch and winner's circle throughout the evening. Jessica Otten did yeoman's work following drivers off the racetrack and into the winner's circle. Otten has mastered capturing the moving target and posing meaningful questions to the drivers for the Fox Sports audiences.

John Rallis has been a persistent force when speaking with drivers or trainers in the paddock or winner's circle. What I find especially engaging about Rallis' style is that he comes with a wealth of obviously researched information about specific horses and asks direct questions of the trainers about equipment changes that could be crucial to the betting public. I must believe his informative questions are a breath of fresh air to trainers likely bored from the same old questions week-in week-out.

Greg Blanchard is a pro's pro whether hosting or interviewing and an incredible asset whenever he arrives in New Jersey to assist in a broadcast.

I was a bit disappointed in one interview held following the E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity with winning conditioner Annie Stoebe. Her 4-year-old mare Elista Hanover just completed a stakes record-setting performance while turning back a dozen rivals. Elista Hanover worked hard to clear the lead and made a second move on her way to a dominating performance in the mile and one-eighth contest. It was a defining moment in Stoebe's career, as she's trained the mare for three years and co-owns her.

Instead of focusing on the victory, the trainer herself or the horse's performance, Stoebe was repeatedly asked about the horse racing on the front-end as opposed to coming from off-the-pace, as if she had something to do with driver David Miller's strategy that worked seamlessly behind the betting favorite.

Interviewing people is a dynamic skill that requires thinking on the fly and under pressure. It is certainly easy to get lost in the moment or get caught up on one particular point and perhaps that is what happened here.