Meadowlands: Gingras gets the call on Hambletonian favorite

Super Chapter, a colt who is undefeated in five starts this year, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the field of 10 contesting the 100th edition of the Hambletonian at the Meadowlands racetrack on Saturday, Aug. 2.

Despite his undefeated record in 2025, Super Chapter will have a new driver for the Hambletonian. When his regular driver, Dexter Dunn, opted to drive Maryland—last year’s 2-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year—Super Chapter was paired with Yannick Gingras, who won last year’s Hambletonian with the colt Karl.

“I learned I might have a chance to drive either Super Chapter or Maryland last Saturday, after the Hambletonian eliminations,” Gingras shared. “Marcus (trainer Marcus Melander) told me he had to talk to the owners of each horse first, and if they were OK with me, then Dexter would get first choice and I would drive the horse he didn’t pick. Then Sunday night, when I was racing in Lexington (KY), he told me I would have the chance to drive one of those two, but I wouldn’t know which one until Dexter made his decision about who he would drive. I committed to drive if I got one of those horses.”

Gingras sees the Hambletonian as a very competitive race.

“I have thought all along that it is a six-horse race,” he said. “And then the top contenders all drew well for post positions, except for Go Dog Go. Everybody knows how hard it is to win the Hambletonian.”

As is often typical for driving a horse in a top race, Gingras will not have a pre-race strategy. Melander said Super Chapter is an easy horse to drive.

“He is a horse than can do it [win] from anywhere,” said Marcus Melander. “He can come from off the pace, he can be close up. He just is push-button and does anything you ask him to do. He can also do it on any type of track and he has proven that.”

Gingras said that two days before the Hambletonian, he watched replays of all of Super Chapter’s races.

“I have raced against him, but watching the replays, just focusing on him, I loved what I saw,” said Gingras. “I talked to Scotty Zeron (the only person besides Dunn to previously drive Super Chapter) and he said he’s like driving a sports car.”

Although trained by Melander, a Swede, Super Chapter is owned by Americans Jeffrey Snyder, Arthur Pronti and Hanover Shoe Farms, which also bred the colt. Super Chapter is a son of 2012 Horse of the Year Chapter Seven, and his dam is the 2014 Hambletonian Oaks winner Lifetime Pursuit. With his pedigree and physique, Hanover sold Super Chapter as a yearling for $300,000.

In early July, Hanover Shoe Farms, the perennial leading breeder of Standardbred horses, bought back an interest in Super Chapter, obviously interested in acquiring a stallion for breeding purposes. Hanover is also the leading breeder of Hambletonian winners with 11 champions hailing from the Pennsylvania nursery.

Melander is hoping one of his four Hambletonian entries will give him first victory in the race on Saturday.

“I think we have him in great condition with for this race. He’s not a big horse but he’s so well put together and well-gaited he looks larger on the track. I’m really looking forward to to Saturday.”

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The Hambletonian will be race 12 with a post time of 4:47 p.m. (EDT). Racing will begin at noon.The stakes-laden card, including the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks (Race 10, 3:37 p.m. (EDT), will be shown on FOX Sports from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Following is the field for Saturday’s $1 million Hambletonian in post-position order with drivers, trainers and morning-line odds.

PP – HORSE – DRIVER – TRAINER – ODDS
1 – Meshuggah – Bjorn Goop – Marcus Melander – 20-1
2 – Super Chapter – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander – 5-2
3 – Emoticon Legacy – Louis Roy – Luc Blais – 4-1
4 – Maryland – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander – 3-1
5 – Maximus Mearas S – Scott Zeron – Lucas Wallin – 6-1
6 – Nordic Catcher S – Ake Svanstedt – Ake Svanstedt – 9-2
7 – Gap Kronos S – Tim Tetrick – Ake Svanstedt – 20-1
8 – Blank – Andrew McCarthy – Marcus Melander – 25-1
9 – Greenma – Trond Smedshammer – Trond Smedshammer – 25-1
10 – Go Dog Go – Todd McCarthy – Carter Pinske – 10-1

-edited release (Kathy Parker for The Hambletonian Society)