Harness: Ryder has Twin B Joe Fresh down to 2:20; four in at The Big M

Trainer Chris Ryder is still on a bit of a high following the Horse of the Year announcement last month. While his Twin B Joe Fresh is back in training and has been in 2:20, others in his 60-horse stable have either been racing or qualifying over the last few weeks with stakes season on the horizon. On Saturday night a pair of sophomores will see action at the Meadowlands and a pair of veterans hope to keep their form in overnight events.

Twin B Joe Fresh remains front and center on Ryder's mind, and he has plans for a debut in May in the Betsy Ross at Harrah's Philadelphia.

"It's going to be tough to find her a race before that," said Ryder, who had a similar problem last year that saw Twin B Joe Fresh lose her first race and then go on to a brilliant campaign.

It may be a bit too early to know just what kind of season Twin B Joe Fresh will have in 2025. "It's hard to tell much going that slow with her but she's all racehorse," said Ryder.

As for this coming Saturday night's races, Luke's Bar, a 5-year-old son of Bar Hopping, has won two of his last three races and looks to continue his hot streak with Chris' son Patrick in the bike once again.

"We couldn't do much with him as a 3-year-old," said Ryder about Luke's Bar. "He was good at making breaks."

Luke's Bar had shown plenty of talent as a freshman, having made it on to the Grand Circuit. "I didn't have him as a 2-year-old, but he raced in the Wellwood and The Bluegrass at The Red Mile," noted Ryder.

Indeed, Luke's Bar finished second in the Bluegrass back in 2022 but raced just one time as a sophomore. "We decided to turn him out for seven or eight months and bring him back," said Ryder of the absence from the races.

Given his recent performances, Luke's Bar appears to have grown up immensely from the time off and after some tweaking with his equipment Ryder is hoping that the gelding can build on his confidence.

"I think he's got the potential for sure to be an Open type of horse, but we'll take it week-to-week for now," said Ryder.

Luke's Bar drew post six in Saturday's tenth race, a $17,500 conditioned event that drew eight horses.

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The 5-year-old Handlelikeaporsche also drew post six for Ryder on Saturday in the fourth race and like his stablemate has looked solid thus far in 2025, with a win and second in a pair of starts.

"I'm hopeful that he's got his confidence back," said Ryder of the son of Lazarus that was a terror on the New Jersey Sire Stakes circuit in 2022. Handlelikeaporsche was a 1:51 1/5 winner by the length of the stretch on February 15 at the Meadowlands and then stepped up in class to be a solid second last week (March 8) at the Meadowlands. On Saturday Handlelikeaporsche will have to contend with a quality field that includes his former stablemate Stonebridge Reef (post seven), who is also entering the contest with a first- and second-place finish to his credit this year.

A pair of sophomores will make their career debuts for Ryder in the fifth race on Saturday, with Darknstormy Deo (post one) and Twin B Brigade (post six) meeting more seasoned competition.

"They both qualified well," said Ryder. "Darknstormy Deo is a half-brother to I Luv The Nitelife." I Luv The Nitelife earned $1.9 million for Ryder back in 2012-13. Her dam Lisjune has had some other notable performers as well, with the near-$750K winner De Los Cielos Deo still racing at age 9.

Both of Ryder's colts are eligible to the Weiss Series that begins at the end of the month at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, along with four others from his stable.

Ryder's pair will meet some seasoned horses, including Federer (post nine), a son of Captaintreacherous that made a solid debut on March 4 at Pocono for trainer Brett Pelling.

While the four in attendance at the Meadowlands on Saturday will keep Ryder occupied, the major work going on in his stable is preparing some solid 3-year-old pacers for the season.

"I'm very happy with Miki And Minnie," said Ryder of last year's 2-year-old champion in the U.S. "We're pointing her towards the Fan Hanover, but she also has the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and the Kentucky Sire Stakes."

Last year Ryder took an easy route with Miki And Minnie, racing her in the Kentucky Commonwealth divisions first before moving her in with the top fillies in the Kentucky Championship Series. By year's end she would go on to capture the Breeders Crown and Three Diamonds.

Ryder used similar strategy with Twisted Destiny, a son of Bettor's Wish that raced in the Pennsylvania Stallion Series – winning the final – and went on to capture a Reynolds division to close out his campaign.

"Twisted Destiny is training back well," said Ryder. Twisted Destiny is the ninth foal from the $1.9 million winning Tug River Princess and the fastest freshman she's ever produced.