Saturday's co-featured $525,000 Hambletonian Oaks at the Meadowlands has the distinction of coming after the main event on the program. That anyone believes the colts will upstage the fillies in excitement and outcome should come at their peril as this year's collection represents the most well-matched collection we've seen in some time. That morning line favorite Elista Hanover – in search of her 11th straight victory – landed the rail may make things that much more difficult for Hall of Fame driver David Miller as he searches for his first Oaks trophy. Perhaps like no other year in recent memory it's hard to separate the fillies, though that's exactly what last week's three eliminations were supposed to do. What turned out to be the case for the most part was three races with drivers trying to reserve as much as they could while still qualifying for the final. Elista Hanover was able to stroll around the track to a dawdling 57 first half before seeing first-over pressure from Buy A Round, a filly that under normal conditions would have been opting for a live cover trip but on this occasion was left with no other good choices except to attack without cover from her spot in fifth at the half. Elista Hanover certainly deserves credit for fighting off the challenge and her will to win. This Saturday it's unlikely the fractions will closely resemble the elimination. Scott Zeron was talking about Allegiant well before her sophomore season began as a filly and he looked forward to driving in major races. Zeron got Allegiant to outsprint her rivals in the early going of her elimination heat and then cruised off what would be a soft opening-half clocking of 56 4/5. Ditto for R Melina, who appears to have shaken off her behind-the-gate jitters for trainer John Butenschoen at just the right time. The Chapter Seven-sired filly easily overcame post eight for driver Todd McCarthy while also getting assistance from a lack of challenges to score her second major victory over the Meadowlands course in convincing fashion. Perhaps the most interesting part of this year's Oaks is the fact that three lesser-known trainers have found themselves with arguably the three best horses going into the final. Racing fans like nothing better when the top horses get spread more evenly and one or two stables does not dominate the entry box or winner's circle. That's the case this year as Annie Stoebe, Vernon Beachy and John Butenschoen are the guiding forces behind the favorites all looking for their first Hambletonian-style trophy. "This is something that every kid dreams about, and you never think it's going to happen. But we're here," said Beachy following Allegiant's winning performance last week. Beachy is based in Ohio but each year goes to the sales looking for a few that may be worthy of racing on the East Coast. In Allegiant, a $50,000 Harrisburg buy in 2022 (lowest of any in the field sold at public auction), he secured a Tactical Landing-sired filly that has performed admirably not only in New Jersey but in Kentucky as well, winning eight of her first 17 career starts with big paydays still ahead. Last year Scott Zeron guided the Tactical Landing-sired Tactical Approach to a Hambletonian upset win and perhaps that magic will work again for him in the Oaks. Annie Stoebe made her Oaks debut in 2023 with Instagram Model. That filly finished sixth in the final, but Stoebe is back perhaps this year with a different type of filly. For one, the chestnut-colored Elista Hanover is riding an impressive winning streak. Another main difference between the two fillies is that Instagram Model was an instant hit as a 2-year-old while Elista Hanover spent her first season on the track winning but one time in nine starts. This year the daughter of International Moni has only gotten better with each start and that certainly bodes well for a top effort in the final. "We're just living a dream right now. She's just amazing," said Stoebe after Elista Hanover's impressive elimination victory. Perhaps even more important than Elista Hanover's ability on the racetrack is her demeanor off it. "There is nothing that phases her," Stoebe said. "As long as you give her a cookie, she doesn't care." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter For veteran trainer John Butenschoen, the road to the Hambletonian Oaks has been a bit bumpy in the past with its share of hard luck and disappointment. In assessing where R Melina ranks among the best fillies Butenschoen has conditioned, he pointed to a pair that didn't make it to the winner's circle for the big dance but had the talent. "I can't say that she's the best. I had Fine Tuned Lady (sixth in the 2017 Oaks final). You can't take anything away from her. She made $600,000 and her first foal was Oh Well. "Unfortunately, Bill's Lady broke a coffin bone in her Oaks elimination (2018) and couldn't show the kind of mare she was," said Butenschoen. While chalk players will see the obvious benefits from the three elimination winners, it is important to look at the rest of the field as well to understand that while there was a ton of separation in the eliminations, the likelihood that the final will see much more spirited action in the first and second quarters makes the race all the more compelling of a puzzle to ponder. Players need to look no further than post two where Warrawee Michelle gets to make her fourth start of the season still looking for her first win. Last year's Breeders Crown champion not only didn't win in her first two starts but she was hopelessly far back at the finish. The Walner-sired filly was a solid closing third up the pylons in her elimination, trotting a final quarter in 26 1/5, a fraction far more reminiscent to last year's achievements. "She was normal again," said driver/trainer Ake Svanstedt. "She had been bad, but we did throat surgery after the last race (July 13) and now she was good again." With Warrawee Michelle's improvement, Svanstedt now can race his filly more aggressively and given the inside post have a real chance at his first Hambletonian Oaks winner. Trainer Noel Daley has three talented fillies in the field, but he clearly believes that Buy A Round gives him the best chance at success. "That's not her trip, first-over," said Daley following Buy A Round's fourth-place finish in her elimination. "I'll pull her shoes and she'll be five-lengths better. She's the best of mine." Buy A Round starts from post six and may need to be more assertive in the early stages to pull off the mild upset. Daley's other two, Miss I La (post five) and Paulina Hanover (post eight), are obvious longshots, but it would be wise not to eliminate them entirely from contention. Paulina Hanover's dam Personal Style captured the 2012 Oaks final at odds of 57-1. While post positions won't favor French Champagne (post seven), Date Night Hanover (post nine) or Drawn Impression (post 10), the three fillies have at times this year displayed enormous ability and may only need a shred of luck to find the winner's circle this year. Last year Tim Tetrick guided Heaven Hanover from post 10 to victory in the Oaks and there's no reason to believe any of these three couldn't hit the ticket or be on top of it. French Champagne was handled conservatively in her elimination and charged home well to be second. Prior to that effort was a solid victory in a Del Miller division for the Ake Svanstedt-trained daughter of Muscle Hill. Date Night Hanover has won just once in seven starts this year but that was a big victory in the Zweig filly in a career best 1:51 4/5 clocking. While trainer Marcus Melander suggests she can leave the gate, her post and talent inside may make that a difficult proposition this week. That said, Dexter Dunn opted for her over French Champagne and Melander will likely make some race day adjustments. "We'll probably race her without shoes like she did in Vernon in the Zweig," said Melander, who added she will also race with earplugs for the first time. Drawn Impression made a solid Meadowlands debut for trainer Luc Blais in last week's elimination, something that made him happy after she tired a bit and finished third in her previous start on July 4 at Vernon Downs. "She raced tough. She maybe got a little tired that night. She wasn't 100%. That's why I'm happy that she came back good," said Blais. An impeccably-bred daughter of Muscle Hill, Drawn Impression's dam Emoticon Hanover was a multiple Breeders Crown champion for Blais that earned $1.7 million, with Drawn Impression her first foal. While this year's Hambletonian story may start and end with Karl, the $525,000 Hambletonian Oaks, race 14 on the card, may be the best event on the 16-race program. $525,000 Hambletonian Oaks - Race 14 1-Elista Hanover-David Miller-Annie Stoebe 9-5 2-Warrawee Michelle-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svanstedt 8-1 3-R Melina-Todd McCarthy-John Butenschoen 5-2 4-Allegiant-Scott Zeron-Vernon Beachy 3-1 5-Miss I La-Joe Bongiorno-Noel Daley-20-1 6-Buy A Round-Andy McCarthy-Noel Daley 6-1 7-French Champagne-Andy Miller-Ake Svanstedt 9-2 8-Paulina Hanover-Tim Tetrick-Noel Daley 20-1 9-Date Night Hanover-Dexter Dunn-Marcus Melander 15-1 10-Drawn Impression-James MacDonald-Luc Blais 12-1