Meadowlands: Apex, Endurance successful in Stanley Dancer Memorial

Hambletonian hopefuls Apex and Endurance won their respective divisions of the Grade 3 Stanley Dancer Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters on Saturday (July 11) at the Meadowlands, both as favorites and both in 1:52.

The Grade 1 Hambletonian, America's Trotting Classic for 3-year-olds, is Aug. 8 at the Meadowlands. Eliminations, if necessary, are slated for Aug. 1 at The Big M. Apex is No. 1 in Meadowlands announcer/analyst Ken Warkentin's Road to the Winning Key Farm Hambletonian rankings while Endurance entered Saturday ranked No. 4.

Marcus Melander-trained Apex fought off stablemate American Power in the stretch before pulling away for a 1 1/2 length win in the second Dancer division, going for a purse of $144,650. Inexpressable finished third.

35-1 longshot Jim Beam led the field to the opening quarter in 28 3/5 before driver Dexter Dunn moved Apex to the top on their way to the half in 57 2/5. American Power made a first-over bid on the final turn and, after reaching three-quarters in 1:26, pulled even with Apex in the lane. Apex, though, came home in 26 seconds to secure the victory.

Apex, last year's divisional Dan Patch Award winner, has won back-to-back starts since a second-place finish by a neck to American Power in his seasonal debut. The son of Walner-Mission Brief has captured eight of 12 career races and earned $1.06 million for owners Jeff Snyder, S R F Stable, and Steve Stewart. The colt was bred by the Mission Brief Stable.

"I think he's feeling better and better every week now," Melander said about Apex. "I feel like he's in good form at this point and I'm looking forward to the next couple weeks here.

"It's a long season and I don't want to peak him too early. I'm very happy with how his schedule has been looking so far. I think we'll just go straight now to the (Hambletonian) eliminations in three weeks."

Sent off as the 1-9 favorite, Apex paid $2.20 to win.

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In the first Dancer division, going for a purse of $145,900, driver Andrew McCarthy and Endurance posted a half-length win over It Could Be Worse with Silverstein another half-length back in third.

It Could Be Worse went to the front from post seven in a 28 2/5 opening quarter before McCarthy put Endurance in motion from third and grabbed the lead on the way to a 57 3/5 half. Nix Nacken, who had been parked out from the start, pulled alongside Endurance as they reached three-quarters in 1:25 2/5, but Endurance turned away that challenge before keeping It Could Be Worse and Silverstein at bay through the stretch.

Endurance, a son of Captain Corey-Love Session, has four wins in five starts this season for trainer Chris Beaver. He has won three in-a-row since a second-place finish in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby on May 16.

"I was impressed (in the Oak Grove Trotting Derby); he went a really tough trip," Beaver said. "Every race since, he was in pretty soft, but he had plenty of trot every time. Today, he was in with some good horses. He kind of had his way, but it wasn't really his kind of trip, either."

For his career, Endurance has won 10 of 13 races and earned $848,799. The colt is owned by Super Endurance Stable, Bill Manes, Leo Fleming, and Mark Moger. He was bred by Steve Stewart and Martti Ala-Seppala.

"I think he's kind of a special colt," Manes said. "Chris bought him and asked us if we wanted to be partners with him, and he's turned out to be far more than what we ever expected."

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, Endurance paid $3.40 to win.