Spring will have officially sprung on Saturday at the Meadowlands with the arrival of five of the top six drivers in terms of 2025 earnings. While names like Yannick Gingras and Jason Bartlett have been seen on the programs at Yonkers Raceway, others - Scott Zeron, Todd McCarthy and Dexter Dunn - will hit the bike in a pari-mutuel race for the first time this year. Weekly Meadowlands appearances for the leading drivers will be predicated on the stakes schedule as busy season hits high gear when the calendar flips from April into May. At the moment Saturdays should be free since all six only have engagements at Yonkers Raceway on Friday and/or Monday nights for the Ursula McIntyre and MGM Borgata Series. At the end of April they will also have to juggle racing in Kentucky on Mondays as those Sire Stakes kick off at Oak Grove on the 27th. May brings new challenges, like on May 2 when there are $100,000 and higher races at Miami Valley, Plainridge and the Meadowlands, as well as Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows. Then the 16th has Oak Grove hosting the new $500,000 Oak Grove Trotting Derby and companion $300,000 Oaks race for 3-year-olds on the same date that the Meadowlands has the A.J. Cutler Memorial. "It'll probably complicate things on one or two dates, but for the most part it won't be too much of a problem," said McCarthy, who had a nice three-month vacation and is eager to return. "I'm really looking forward to getting back to the Meadowlands to start my season. It's a great place to start and a great track. "I spent the majority of [vacation] down in Australia and came back in February," continued the driver. "The weather is starting to break a little bit, and I think everyone is in the same boat with coming back this weekend." McCarthy has taken some friendly jabbing from his peers over for his dislike of the cold weather since coming to the U.S. in 2020. For what it's worth, he wasn't shying away from it. "The cold is not something I'm really fond of. I never really experienced the extreme cold weather until I moved to the States. I don't handle it too well, and I try to avoid it as much as possible." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Another guy has been enjoying fun in the sun is 2023 USHWA Driver of the Year Scott Zeron. Just prior to embarking on his journey north from Florida on March 25, the driver admitted he wouldn't have minded a few more weeks in the warmer weather but conceded that it was time to officially get back to work. "I didn't even touch a jog cart for two and half months, but in the last 45 days I've worked really hard," said Zeron, who last sat in the bike on December 5 at Yonkers Raceway. The 36-year-old has plenty to look forward to in 2026 after completing a season which saw him steer horses to $9.39 million in earnings, the third straight year at that level or higher. He cited William Wellwood Memorial winner Ardonne, multiple stakes-winning millionaire Maximus Miki and Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly trot third-place finisher Nezuko Kamado S as some of the stakes horses he is eager to work with again. While Zeron will have to wait some time to get going with those stakes drives, McCarthy jumps right into action Monday at Yonkers Raceway with Captain Albano and then has another standout on his dance card at the end of April. "[Captain Albano] ended last year really well and I'm looking forward to driving him, and there are a few other 2- and 3-year-olds from different divisions that I'm pretty excited about. I hope they've all had a good winter and will come back healthy and happy," said McCarthy. "One horse I'm really looking forward to is Yo Tillie. She was pretty awesome last year and I'm pretty excited to get behind her again." Yo Tillie was named Dan Patch Award winner as the best 3-year-old trotting filly in the sport last year, and she is expected to be ready for the Kentucky Sire Stakes series for 4-year-olds at Oak Grove at the end of April. McCarthy is listed to drive five horses on Saturday, the same total as Gingras, who has been making regular appearances at Yonkers Raceway during the winter months. Zeron is programmed to drive a trio of horses on the evening while five-time Driver of the Year Dexter Dunn and reigning holder of that title from 2025 Jason Bartlett have a six-pack of drives each. Bartlett led the industry with $16.7 million in purses won last year. While he already has nearly 400 starts under his belt in 2026 and is running away with the driving title at Yonkers Raceway, he is looking forward to sitting behind stakes horses again. "I'm excited that stakes season is finally starting up here at Yonkers and look forward to driving some nice horses at the Meadowlands as well in 2026," said the 44-year-old Bartlett. "Hopefully I can build on my success from last year." The one "top-sixer" not in attendance on Saturday night at The Big M is Tim Tetrick. He was listed on just two horses later on the card (in the same race) and understandably elected not to stick around for five hours (after the qualifiers end) to compete in one race. For all of the other leading drivers in the sport, the action is just starting to heat up in 2026. While winter is a time for rejuvenation or a light schedule, the summer and fall months bring doubleheaders and long hours for the top catch drivers. Time to get back to work.