CHAMPIONSHIP MEET STATS: 359-125-53-44 / $661.70 (-$56.30) BEST BETS: 26-12-6-1 / $50.60 (-$1.40) SPOT PLAYS: 25-4-3-7 / $45.20 (-$4.80) BEST BET: AETOS KRONOS S (9th) SPOT PLAY: MARYLAND (12th) Race 1: $30K Continentalvictory 3YO Filly Trot - $50K GTD Pick 6 (8) WHAT A BID HANOVER was clearly off her game in the Oaks elimination as she made breaks multiple times during the mile. I simply can’t see her connections entering if there was something seriously wrong so we’ll just look at it as an off night because she is many lengths better than these. (6) LASTING DREAM was shut off up the cones in her Oaks elim and it’s a pity because she probably would’ve made the final. She should get a big piece here. (1) HIGHLANDSTARBURST looked very good in her Takter barn debut. Let’s see what she can do on the big track. (4) DEARLY BELOVED never got a chance to shine when she broke at the start last weekend. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2: $95,650 Shady Daisy 3YO Filly Pace (6) MIKI AND MINNIE came first over and basically toyed with the competition last weekend. Two starts back she absolutely crushed the field. She has no equal in the U.S. as we await the matchup against Chantilly. (1) THEBEAUTIFULTHINGS proved she could play with these by finishing third from post 10 in the Silverman. Bargain basement $5,500 filly has the early speed to secure a winning trip in the short field. (2) RODEO DRIVE DEO just doesn’t seem to be sharp right now. She should’ve been second last time. Race 3: $50,000 Muscle Hill 3YO C&G Trot - $75K GTD Pick 5 (3) JAMAIS VU’s only loss this year came when starting from the second tier against better foes in the Reynolds over this track. That start also came after missing four weeks of action. He won’t find a better spot going for $50,000. (4) LEFTIES RIGHTIES has been ultra-consistent this year, only missing the board once in nine starts. (7) TRAVOLTA HANOVER only finished fourth but turned in the best mile we’ve seen from him in a while. Another step forward would make him a contender. Race 4: $50,000 Muscle Hill 3YO C&G Trot (7) ONAJETPLANE comes off a very credible mile versus a couple of horses that are serious contenders in today’s Hambletonian. This isn’t necessarily an easy spot but I expect him to show early speed and be in position to win. If you see that trainer Noel Daley took the shoes off, run to the windows. (1) LANDING ON TIME just wasn’t as good in the Hambo elims as he was up at Mohawk. That said, I wouldn’t jump ship off one dull mile. (2) HEY PORTER has speed and form. He finished just a head behind the top pick on July 19. Race 5: $227,350 Cane Pace 3YO C&G - Pick 4 (5) CAPTAIN OPTIMISTIC showed he’s back with a strong 1:49 mile over a track I wouldn’t exactly call blazing fast. Short field should allow him to race from on or off the pace as the likely second choice behind (1) MDDEN OAKS. The latter was placed first in the Meadowlands Pace and finished second in the NA Cup. He’s sharp, fast and the one to beat. 3) PAPIS PISTOL has displayed the ability to fire a big mile at times. I wonder if in this short field Miller may send him hard to the front in an attempt to steal the race. Race 6: $181,000 Dr. John R. Steele Memorial Mare Trot - Survivor 7 (7) ELISTA HANOVER has stamped herself as the Queen of this division in recent weeks and while she isn’t exactly a lock, I’m not prepared to bet against her until she is defeated. (6) CALL ME GOO goes for three straight and you know she’ll be firing off the gate with new driver Tetrick in the bike; best upset chance. (11) WARRAWEE MICHELLE is certainly good enough to win if Svanstedt can somehow work out a trip from the second tier. I’ll be betting against it; Lasix back on. (2) M-M’S DREAM should be able to push around the #1 and sit in the top three early; using underneath only unless the shoes come off. Race 7: $225K NJ Sire Stakes 2YO Filly Trot (1) WALDON FASHION’s bandwagon will have a few less people after failing as the 1-2 favorite last time. For my money she is still the best horse in this group and I’m not going to let one defeat change my mind. (5) DAYS AWAY proved herself by showing speed at both ends of her mile to pick up his first career win last time out. She’s going to be value in here and seems worth consideration. (4) SOUTHWIND CHASKA has been able to save ground and shake free late twice to post an undefeated record. In a bigger field here those tactics will be more difficult to execute. (6) LEADING LADY did nothing wrong winning her first career start. Any improvement off that mile will make her a very dangerous competitor. Race 8: $131,650 Sam McKee Memorial Open Pace (2) MAXIMUS MIKI was sharp winning the Haughton and he certainly would’ve won last time if a tired horse didn’t pull in his face and impede his path. Ideally he’ll take charge early in this spot but he can certainly take air on the rim if needed. (5) FUNTIME BAYAMA has been finishing very well in his last few starts from impossible spots. Maybe the new driver this week will get him in play earlier enough to make it count. (1) COACHES CORNER can race well from on or off the pace and he draws well enough that he can get involved at fair odds. (3) BYTHEMISSAL is sometimes bad and sometimes great. It’s anyone’s guess which horse shows up this week. Race 9: $60,000 Vincennes Preferred Trot - $125K GTD Pick 4 (1) AETOS KRONOS S really didn’t have much of a chance versus a much better field while starting from post eight on a five-eighths track last time. He’s supposed to beat this field handily and the fact that he adds Lasix can’t hurt. (6) S I P owns a huge stretch kick but needs the right flow and setup. (8) OUTSIDE THE FIRE took advantage of a good spot and showed early speed last time. Hard to say if we’ll see similar tactics here, though I lean against it. (5) LITTLE EXPENSIVE arrives on a four race winning streak. That said, he’s really never been this caliber. Race 10: $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks 3YO Filly Trot Let me start by saying I don’t have a strong feel for this race, mostly because there are a ton of horses that could fire off the gate and the pace scenario could literally be anything from a 56 half to a 54. I’m going to stick with (1) MISS BELMAR, a filly I’ve been on since late last year. She’s found herself in recent weeks and trainer Noel Daley is going to pull the shoes on Saturday, which he did in the Breeders Crown last year and she improved a full second. (2) DEJA BLU turned things around in her elimination with a nice ground saving trip that resulted in a 26 1/5 final quarter. If Gingras can sit chilly and the pace is as fast as expected, she can have a big say with a clear path. (5) DELANEY HANOVER was probably the most impressive elimination winner. She’s hard to leave off your tickets. (6) CONVERSANO hasn’t missed the board in eight starts this year. My only concern is that she’s only really shown quick acceleration in the middle of the mile and I fear she may need it at the end here. Race 11: $300,000 John Cashman Memorial Open Pace (6) PERICULUM probably came up a bit short in the stretch at Plainridge but I’m not going to hold that against him. He still closed in 27 3/5 and gained ground in the stretch. He’s back at The Meadowlands where he is perfect in two starts and there is no doubt that he’s the best horse in the field. (8) LEXUS KODY looked like the winner in the Spirit of Massachusetts when he angled off the cones but he couldn’t navigate the turn into the stretch and rolled off stride. I won’t hold the miscue against him because his prior form is stellar. (5) PRIVATE ACCESS is back on Lasix now and that should help. Also key could be the tougher competition which will allow him to take a more conservative approach. (3) UP YOUR DEO pulled off the upset last time and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him hustle off the gate for Svanstedt. Race 12: $1,000,000 Hambletonian 3YO Trot - $100K GTD Pick 4 I’ve stated many, many times that none of (4) MARYLAND’s races have meant anything this year. The only race that matters is on Saturday and now it is time to take the gloves off. Not that he’s been racing poorly. He’s actually been getting sharper and sharper each week. Last time I think driver Dexter Dunn was a bit surprised with how good Nordic Catcher S was or he wouldn’t have taken the brief pocket tuck in the stretch. Form and ability aside, I’ve worked out potential pace scenarios and they all seem positive for Maryland from this post. I’m all in and was even before Dunn choose him! (10) GO DOG GO is going to be a huge overlay because he through in one subpar effort. Mind you he came home in 26 3/5 and trotted in 1:51 2/5 in his “so called” bad mile. I’m envisioning a race with a live flow and plenty of action to get him involved or on the flip side, one where (6) NORDIC CATCHER S goes to the front and refuses to yield. Either outcome is good for the “Dog” to rally. The latter was super in his elimination and now Svanstedt is supposed to remove the shoes to look for another second from this dynamic son of Six Pack out of a Somebeachsomewhere mare. Maybe, like GooGoo GaaGaa before him, the pacing blood has brought him to another level. (2) SUPER CHAPTER is undefeated and deserves a ton of respect but I see trip problems in his future from this post. Most of the power is just to his outside and that doesn’t bode well for him. (5) MAXIMUS MEARAS S is a horse I fear if he has a live cover trip. That scenario is a possibility but I’m not sure the value will be there as everyone saw him fly home in just his second start of the year. Race 13: $225,000 NJ Sire Stakes 2YO C&G Final There are some very talented young trotters in this field and we very well could be watching the next Hambletonian winner. By a narrow margin I’m going with (2) APEX. This royally bred son of Walner and Mission Brief has a good first step away from the gate and seems like a fighter out on the track. Last time he was completely shut down by mid-stretch in victory. (9) I’M KRONOS S is a horse I’ve been following since his baby races and quite frankly they haven’t pushed him for speed yet. If we don’t see it on Saturday than it’s unlikely to happen before the fall. He’s worth a price play. (1) DIABOLIC HILL is perfect in three starts and the deserving favorite. That said, starting from the inside does him no favors and I’d prefer not to have the second (or maybe even best) horse right to my outside. (4) MAGA HILL has early speed and some ability. He will be heard from during the race. Race 14: $130,400 Sam McKee Memorial Open Pace (5) KEN HANOVER was done in by a tough post and trip last time in the Haughton and was smartly given a few weeks off to freshen up. This looks like the perfect spot where he can either head to the front and sit a good trip and look for cover behind a horse like Sabonis. (6) RUTHLESS HANOVER got off to a slow start but seems back to himself now in some respects. It’s interesting that he has abandoned his speedball ways for new tactics. Maybe at age 8 he can’t do all the work himself, but there is no doubt he’s a major player in this race regardless of tactics. (4) SABONIS seems to find his way into the wrong trip way too often. He’s clearly good enough to win. [DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter] Race 15: $139,000 Lady Liberty Mare Pace The rivalry continues on Saturday between (5) SYLVIA HANOVER and (6) TWIN B JOE FRESH. While I have been on the latter’s team for some time, I have to jump ship due to the way this race seems likely to play out. Sylvia Hanover was reserved in her record-setting Barton win and this seems like a great spot to take charge as Twin B Joe Fresh rarely leaves hard and is unlikely to be pushed too much after her 1:20 1/5 three-quarters clocking last time. I see Sylvia setting a reasonable pace and Joe Fresh grinding up. To me that means advantage Sylvia. (1) MY GIRL EJ has yet to prove she can handle her older rivals but I wouldn’t be shocked if she eventually pulled off an upset. Race 16: Winners 3-6 (NW L2 7) races or $100,000 life (4) JAMAICAN ROCK A is perfect in two starts since coming to these shores and this looks like a spot where he doesn’t have to head to the front and set fast fractions to succeed. (8) IKNOWBETTER won his previous two races here before going to Pocono and chasing the top pick for second twice; clear threat. (10) NUCLEAR may be helped by the switch to the big track.