Meadowlands: Alagna, Melander trainees sharp in qualifying races

The barns of Tony Alagna and Marcus Melander dominated Saturday morning's qualifiers at the Meadowlands, with both operations scoring hat tricks

The Alagna Armada tallied wih 3-year-old Chapter Seven colt Ahundreddollarbill (Andrew McCarthy) in 1:55 1/5 in the fourth, with sophomore pacing filly Hot Mess Express (McCarthy) in 1:51 2/5 in the eighth, and with 3-year-old Somebeachsomewhere colt Prayforthewicked (Todd McCarthy) in 1:52 1/5 in the ninth. Prayforthewicked is a full brother to Captaintreacherous.

Melander scored with three of his 3-year-old hopefuls for the big trotting stakes this year. First up was filly Iteration (Brian Sears), who led throughout and won the third event in 1:57 2/5. Melander then teamed up with Tim Tetrick to take the fifth with Readly Express colt Dancinginthedark M from the pocket in 1:54 2/5 and the sixth with In Range, a colt by Bar Hopping, on the engine in an identical 1:54 2/5.

Other stakes winners who were victorious during the session were 2019 Hambletonian champion Forbidden Trade (Bob McClure/Luc Blais), who topped two-time Dan Patch Award honoree Amigo Volo (Dexter Dunn) and last year's Hambletonian victor Ramona Hill (A. McCarthy) in a 1:54 4/5 performance, and Ohio Triple Crown champion Ocean Rock (Yannick Gingras/Nancy Takter), a 4-year-old Rockin Amadeus gelding who bagged the tenth on the point in 1:50 3/5.

Rounding out the morning's winners were:

3-year-old Father Patrick filly Ad Astra (Ake Svanstedt trains/drives, 1:58 1/5)
3-year-old Muscle Hill filly Avenir (Gingras/Ron Burke, 1:54 1/5)
7-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding Nandolo N (Dunn/Shane Tritton, 1:50 2/5)