Meadowlands: Daley foursome set for Saturday's 2024 NJ Sire Stakes

Trainer Noel Daley will have four from his stable in this Saturday at the Meadowlands in a series of New Jersey Sire Stakes events, with a pair of trotting fillies getting primed for major campaigns.

Miss I LA, a Walner-sired filly, will get the evening underway in the second race of 14 on the program, a division for sophomore trotting fillies with a purse of $30,000.

"I was very happy with her two qualifiers," said Daley. "She was more controllable this year than she was at times last year."

Miss I LA cracked the $100K mark in earnings during her freshman campaign for Daley, winning twice in 10 starts. On Saturday she meets six rivals with Scott Zeron to guide her from post three.

The field includes a pair of $100K earners as freshmen in French Champagne (post four) and Walcango (post six). Tove Palema (post seven) makes her New Jersey debut following a second-place finish in the Weiss Series final at Pocono on April 30.

Daley doesn't know is in store from Robinhood, a Walner-sired gelding that has a mind of his own. "I really don't know what to expect from him," Daley said.

While Daley may have uncertainty as to what Robinhood may do on the track, he was more than aware of the competition.

"I would have preferred any division away from Karl," admitted the trainer.

Karl makes his long-anticipated sophomore debut against Robinhood and five others in the $30,000 NJSS event carded as race four. Karl drew post seven for his debut with regular driver Yannick Gingras in the bike for trainer Nancy Takter.

Daley wasn't sure whether to enter Buy A Round in the Sire Stakes given the six-time freshman winner had but one qualifier on May 3, but elected to put her in at the behest of driver Andrew McCarthy.

"Initially I had thought about just starting her in the second leg of the Sire Stakes," said Daley. "There would have been a week off after that, so I decided to put her in."

Buy A Round (post four) faces seven others in the sixth race division for trotting fillies. When last seen in stakes action Buy A Round finished third in the Breeders Crown final at Hoosier Park on October 27. Daley suggested Buy A Round would likely be racing from off-the-pace, a place she's been quite accustomed to throughout her nine-race career where she's won on six occasions.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Trainer Ake Svanstedt will send out Volcanic Blue Chip (post seven) in this division. The Walner-sired filly earned $175K with much of that coming from a second-place finish in the Kentucky Sire Stakes championship last September at The Red Mile.

Daley feels that Avellino should be better this week in the New Jersey Sire Stakes event for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers. The $30,000 event carded as race 10 puts Avellino on the outside (post six) in the seven-horse field, with first leg winner Endofstory (post one) and Wish You Well (post four) inside his charge.

Sire Stakes events dominate the Saturday card at the Meadowlands, with five other $30,000 divisions sprinkled throughout the 14-race card. Lockheed Martin (post seven) makes his sophomore pari-mutuel debut following a pair of winning qualifiers over this surface for trainer Tony Alagna in the third race division for sophomore male trotters.

Alagna's Mars Hill (post seven) makes his first start of the year in another $30,000 division for male trotters (race five). Mars Hill made nearly $200K during his freshman season with four victories.

Allegiant (post two) makes her debut in a division for sophomore trotting fillies for trainer Vernon Beachy. A daughter of Tactical Landing, Allegiant won five times in 10 starts as a juvenile and comes into the race off a pair of winning qualifiers. Allegiant meets seven fillies in the NJSS in race seven.

On the pacing front, a $30,000 division for colts and geldings is slated as race nine with first leg winner Arbitrage Hanover (post two) meeting the highly-regarded Better Is Nice (post three) for the second straight week. Arbitrage Hanover scored in a career-best 1:51 4/5 clocking in last week's (May 4) first Sire Stakes leg. Better Is Nice, a seven-time winner as a freshman, had a long grind from post eight in his debut and was just a length behind Arbitrage Hanover at the finish.

Odds On Steno (post five) will be looking for her second straight Sire Stakes win in the nightcap for trainer Tony Alagna and driver Andrew McCarthy. A daughter of Bettor's Wish, Odds On Steno faces seven rivals.

Daley's Dan Patch Award-winner Captain Albano was victorious in a qualifier on Friday morning at the Meadowlands, rallying out of third with a 25 3/5 final quarter to score by half a length in 1:52 3/5. Daley hopes to have Captain Albano, a 3-year-old Captaintreacherous colt driven by Todd McCarthy, join the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for round two on May 18 at Pocono Downs.