Trainer Noel Daley finds himself in the garden spot in the Garden State on Friday night with a list of top contenders as the Meadowlands hosts a series of New Jersey Classic events for freshmen and sophomores. Daley could have three favorites of his six finalists on the stakes-filled program, with the top 2-year-old trotting filly Emmas Mystery CCL a likely favorite in the $250,000 event carded as race five of 14 on the card. "I always liked her," said Daley of the Muscle Hill-sired Emmas Mystery CCL. "She could do things wrong." Daley's concerns about the $100,000 Lexington Selected purchase were typical of any young trotter learning her lessons in that there were miscues when top behavior was anticipated. Since making the races, Emmas Mystery CCL has given Daley fewer reasons for worry and more indication that she could be among the elite, not just in the New Jersey class but beyond. On Hambletonian Day, driver Andrew McCarthy was able to race parked from post nine and circle the field in the $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final over the Big M strip, with the filly winning in 1:53 2/5 despite covering the extra distance. In one of two eliminations last Friday (August 29), Emmas Mystery CCL responded in similar fashion and out-kicked Sugar Packet, a recent winner in the Peaceful Way at Woodbine Mohawk Park. "She's so smart and mature," said Daley of his frosh filly that will have plenty on her dance card following Friday's contest. "We've got her staked pretty well," Daley said. "She's eligible for the races at Hoosier Park (Doherty Memorial), The Red Mile and in Canada. I'll probably have to skip some." A winner in four of her five starts this year, Emmas Mystery CCL looks to add to her $165,500 in career earnings with the lucrative purse in the New Jersey Classic. Daley's Worklifebalance is one of the fillies to beat in the $150,000 New Jersey Classic for 3-year-old pacing fillies. The daughter of Cattlewash landed post five of six in the evening's 12th race. "I've been racing her at Yonkers because of the purses and to keep her sharp," said Daley of Worklifebalance, who enters the Classic following a victory over the half-mile track on August 23. Worklifebalance returns to the Meadowlands where she captured the $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final in late May, defeating four of the five fillies she'll meet on Friday. That fifth filly, Asphalt (post six), is one Daley is concerned about despite a disappointing finish in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows last week. "Brett's filly (Asphalt) was uncontrollable in her last start. I'm sure they will get her to race from behind this week," Daley said of the Brett Pelling trainee that cut a 26 1/5 opening quarter and had little left in the late stages of her race. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Daley was not happy with the performance of Onajetplane in last week's New Jersey Classic elimination as the heavily favored son of Muscle Hill struggled to get his nose in front on the wire. "He did get the job done but kind of lost his focus," said Daley. "I spoke with Andy (driver McCarthy) and he said he'd have to keep him engaged while he's in motion and not let him relax." Onajetplane drew post six in the $250,000 New Jersey Classic for sophomore colt and gelding trotters (race eight) and will likely be the favorite with Daley hoping for a bounce-back effort. "I'm probably going to take the shoes off this week," said Daley of the loss of some equipment for Friday's contest. "I raced him with shoes in the Hambletonian elimination with the idea that I would take them off for the final." Onajetplane did not reach the Hambletonian final, but Daley had his shoes removed for the $50,000 Muscle Hill on the Hambo Day program and Onajetplane trotted to a personal-best 1:51 mile on that day. "I could have taken them off for the Beal (August 16 at Pocono), but I really don't think he would have been better than third that day if I had," Daley said. Callmebigpapi drew post seven in the $150,000 New Jersey Classic for freshmen pacing colts and geldings carded as race three, and Daley is hoping for improvement for the son of Papi Rob Hanover. "He's a better horse than he showed in his last race," said Daley of the seventh-place finish in a Kindergarten leg at the Meadowlands on August 23. Callmebigpapi has a second- and third-place finish in prior legs of that series and is looking for his first career win in this just his sixth start. Miss Belmar was among the favorites in this year's Hambletonian Oaks but broke on that occasion and has been trying to regain her form since. The filly by Muscle Hill landed post eight but will really be up against it in the $250,000 Classic for sophomore trotting fillies (race 11). "Andy's going to drive the other filly," Daley said, noting that Oaks winner Conversano (post two) was McCarthy's preference, with David Miller driving Miss Belmar. Also drawing inside was division leader Yo Tillie (post five), the prohibitive choice in the field looking for her eighth straight win in 2025 without defeat. While she cruised to an easy 1:52 win on paper, Yo Tillie drifted out in the lane and hardly looked unbeatable. "She scoped sick after the race at Pocono and I really didn't get to train her much," said trainer Andrew Harris, who mentioned that driver Todd McCarthy said she was on the left line a bit. In addition to Emmas Mystery CCL, Daley has another top flight trotting filly in Carve, a daughter of Captain Corey that captured a Kentucky Championship Series leg on Monday (September 1) at The Red Mile. "She was a professional from the start," Daley said of Carve, who earned a spot in the $400,000 final at The Red Mile on September 14. Carve took a 1:52 3/5 mark with her first career win. Daley will also have Captain Albano in Saturday's Ewart Memorial at Scioto Downs and feels the 4-year-old by Captaintreacherous has a solid schedule pointing towards the Breeders Crown. "He'll go in the $200,000 invitational at Yonkers on International Day (September 13) and then come back two weeks later in the Dayton Derby (September 27)," said Daley. Captain Albano is coming off a pair of sharp efforts in the Always B Miki invite at Pocono and then a track record-setting 1:50 1/5 effort in the Kane at Batavia on August 23.