There are still a couple of months remaining before major stakes races commence, and that provides ample time for trainers to put the finishing touches on prospects and projects within their stables. Trainer Marcus Melander has had the good fortune in past years to be conditioning some of the best sophomores in Grand Circuit action. This year he acknowledges that though he has a solid group of sophomores coming forward, there's a significant hill to climb. "I had some nice ones last year," Melander said, "But not close to the top two." Melander, of course, was referring to division leaders Karl and his archrival T C I. That said, it wasn't as if Melander's horses were far behind the top pair. Case in point, Security Protected, a son of Father Patrick that earned $354K as a 2-year-old, which by any standard is a successful campaign, was overshadowed by those rivals while at the same time respectable against the rest. Security Protected was ultra-consistent throughout his juvenile campaign and likely tailed off near the end when he finished fourth in the Valley Victory. "I'm very happy with how he looks coming back," said Melander of the likely leader among the 20 sophomore trotters his stable will return to action this spring. Security Protected, a $250,000 yearling, is the seventh foal from Thatsnotmyname, an impeccably well-bred daughter of Windsong's Legacy. He's also the richest already after his juvenile campaign, which could bode well for a standout sophomore season. Melander also pointed to My Way, a son of Muscle Hill that looked to have star potential early in the campaign when he finished a close second in the $240K New Jersey Sire Stakes final at the Meadowlands in a 1:53 mile. Unfortunately, the rest of his season was marginalized by some breaking issues. "He got a little sore towards the end but he's coming back fit," said Melander. On the filly side of the equation there was Date Night Hanover as a bright spot. The Chapter Seven-sired filly took advantage of dual eligibility, capturing the $400,000 final of the Kentucky Championship Series at The Red Mile in a career best 1:53 4/5 clocking last September. Date Night Hanover also captured a pair of New York Sire Stakes events early in the season, and perhaps the travel took its toll as she made breaks in her final two starts at the end of the year. It's hard to say how well Date Night Hanover will fare in the coming season, but the options for Melander are wide open, and it should be remembered that he captured the 2023 Hambletonian Oaks with an under-the-radar Heaven Hanover. Melander's greatest accomplishments may be yet to come as he has an incredible opportunity this year to condition sons and daughters from three of his star performers from recent years. It's hard to imagine any trainer ever being in a similar position, but Melander has among his 38 juveniles in training, sons and daughters from the impressive trio of Greenshoe, Gimpanzee and Green Manalishi. The Greenshoes are in their second season, while Gimpanzee and Green Manahlishi attempt to carve out a new era, with the former based in Kentucky and the latter in Ontario. "I've got 10 Gimpanzees," Melander said. "They are like him. They are so nice to be around whether on the track or in the barn." The sons and daughters of the three-time Breeders Crown champion have a tremendous opportunity to shine this year given their eligibility within the rich Kentucky program. "I don't think you'll see mine in baby races at the Meadowlands in June," said Melander, recognizing that much of the money ahead for the Gimpanzee freshman class will come later in Kentucky, and thus there's no hurry to put them on track in the north. "I may put some in the Kindergarten [at the Meadowlands] as well." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter While there was a drop in interest for sons and daughters of Greenshoe at the 2023 yearling sales, Melander's team was more on the optimistic side that the freakishly-fast son of Father Patrick would eventually silence the critics and produce a star or a few. "I still believe in Greenshoe," Melander said. "We had a lot of very large horses last year, and they just weren't ready to put it together." With that in mind, when Melander went to the 2023 auctions he was looking for a different type of Greenshoe yearling. Melander does have eight sophomores from Greenshoe's first crop, and there's every reason to believe that one or more of them may show up in significant stakes competition later this year. "Loxahatchee got started a little late and we took it easy with him," said Melander of the Greenshoe colt from the incomparable Hannelore Hanover. "He got sick on us late in the year." Loxahatchee took a 1:55 4/5 record in an overnight event at The Red Mile but didn't rise to stakes competition in a minimal number of starts. Given his pedigree and overall size, Melander is hopeful that he will emerge as a stakes contender. Another sophomore Greenshoe well-bred prospect is Sky Diver, a son of the $2.4 million-winning Ariana G. Just the second foal and first colt from the dam, he had limited exposure as a freshman. "He got sick at Lexington and we quit with him early," said Melander. Melander's stable has three freshmen from first-crop sire Green Manalishi, a son of Muscle Hill remembered for winning an elimination heat of the Hambletonian in 2019 in a race that included both of his stablemates and now competitors as stallions. "They are all going along well," said Melander of the group that will likely go to Ontario for the summer. While a majority of the Melander stable is filled with freshman and sophomore trotters, there are four older horses back in training. The numbers may be small, but the firepower looks quite large, with the returning sophomores from 2023 Oh Well and Air Power hoping to enjoy success in 4-year-old action and perhaps beyond. "I think we're looking to bring them both back for the Graduate," said Melander, while not ruling out an earlier race for New Jersey-bred 4-year-olds at the Meadowlands. "They are back in training and look great." For both Oh Well and Air Power, the 2024 campaign could provide the racing world with some clarity about their ability. At times during the sophomore campaign each looked to have star potential, but unfortunately for the most part that went unrealized. Oh Well suffered from second-itis, having been the runner-up in seven of his 13 starts on the season, perhaps the toughest defeat coming when Tactical Approach rallied along the pylons to pass him in the $1 million Hambletonian. A son of Muscle Hill, Oh Well will have a chance to build on his $1.2 million career bankroll. Air Power had moments of brilliance during his sophomore campaign, most notably his victory in 1:51 in the New Jersey Classic at the Meadowlands last September. Air Power started his sophomore campaign in brilliant form at the Meadowlands but could not sustain that edge throughout the season. With but three starts as a freshman, it's possible Air Power will benefit from his sophomore experience and rise to the occasion in 2024. Last year Melander appeared to have Venerate on a path towards being one of the best aged performers in North America. That trajectory didn't quite pan out. "He raced great at the Meadowlands in the Cutler and Crawford," said Melander. "He hit himself in the Maple Leaf." Following the Maple Leaf, Venerate sored up and was never able to regain his early-season form. "He bred some mares in Sweden and has come back to the barn now," said Melander of Venerate. "He looks good and has filled out." Melander believes the physical issues that held Venerate back during the second half of his 2023 season have been addressed and he looks forward to a big season ahead. "I've also got Periculum back. He raced his 4-year-old season in Sweden," said Melander of the Muscle Hill-sired horse that was a stakes player as a freshman and sophomore. While Melander clearly is happy with the sons and daughters from his former stars, he hasn't lost sight of one stallion that has helped his career enormously. "We've got plenty of Chapter Sevens," Melander said without naming names. No doubt, given the immense success he's had over the last few years, we can expect a Melander-trained son or daughter of Chapter Seven winning at least a few New York Sire Stakes events and perhaps more in 2024.