With just nine spots open for this year's Governors Cup, trainer Joe Holloway could have an edge heading into a pair of $20,000 elimination races on Saturday night at the Meadowlands. Holloway entered three 2-year-olds among 15 in the fields and has early-season star Newsroom looking to bounce back from an uncharacteristic performance in the Breeders Crown. "I was all set to shut him down for the season after the Crown," said Holloway on Wednesday morning. "That was his first bad race of the year, and he came out of it a little sore." The Always B Miki-sired colt had captured seven of his first nine starts on the season prior to the Breeders Crown final where he faded to seventh after a long uncovered mission. "I turned him out for a few days and thought he was acting better," said Holloway of Newsroom. "I trained him on Monday [November 13] and he seemed back to his old self so I put him in." Newsroom drew post seven in the fourth race and first Governor's Cup elimination (race four) that only guarantees the top four finishers a spot in the final. While Newsroom drew outside, Holloway's other contender Sudden Impact drew the pole in the same division and that was encouraging. "He's been a bit of a later bloomer," said Holloway, who admittedly said he hadn't seen this kind of talent early in the season. "We gelded him and I'm not generally a fan of that, but I just didn't think he was showing the talent he had on the track." Sudden Impact has steadily improved since returning to the Meadowlands in October and though he finished second in his last start (November 4), missing by just a neck while closing from ninth to finish second, it was to Its Saturday Night, a horse he'll meet in Saturday's elimination. "I haven't had that much luck with geldings, but I did geld Early Action and that worked out well," said Holloway about his 2021 Governor's Cup champion. Noblesville enters this Governor's Cup division as the richest horse in the field for trainer Ron Burke, who already has a finalist with Lou Vuitton, the Kindergarten champion, receiving a bye into the final. Noblesville, an Indiana-bred, recently finished fourth in the Matron at Dover Downs following his fifth-place finish in the Breeders Crown. Noblesville starts from post six with Tim Tetrick in the bike. Breeders Crown fourth-place finisher Nuclear raced at a lower level than most of these while campaigning in Kentucky this summer for Holloway but has since picked up his game to be competing at the highest level. The gelded son of Always B Miki landed post five in the second division carded as race six on the Meadowlands program. "He's turned into a good horse," said Holloway, who hopes Nuclear will find a way into next week's lucrative final. Nuclear faces a solid field that includes Maxim Hanover (post three), the winner of the Matron at Dover Downs on November 2 for trainer Robert Cleary. A son of Captaintreacherous, Maxim Hanover took a career-best 1:52 mark in rallying from off-the-pace in the Matron. Magnifico Hanover (post four) was a multiple Grand Circuit winner at The Red Mile this fall but couldn't carry that momentum through the Breeders Crown where he failed to reach the final. A third-place finish in the Matron sets the Cote Keim-owned and trained gelding up nicely for the Governor's Cup trials. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Just one field of 10 fillies was required after Kindergarten winner Caviart Belle took a bye, as did Peace Talks, leaving the $20,000 Three Diamonds elimination (race seven) looking to eliminate just two fillies. Holloway entered Blue Pacific (post nine), hoping that the stakes-winning filly could grab a victory a secure a decent post in the final. "I was offered a bye but didn't want to take it," said Holloway. "I see that Ron [Burke] put My Girl EJ in as well probably for the same reason." While a bye does guarantee entry into the final, it doesn't secure an inside post, and Holloway was initially hopeful that would happen with a victory Saturday. "It's going to be tough from post nine, but it will be up to David [Miller] to figure out a trip," said Holloway. That may be easier said than done. Despite Blue Pacific's talent, the draw puts her outside My Girl EJ, nine-times first or second in 11 trips this year. My Girl EJ landed post five and trainer Ron Burke's other filly Camerican, third in the Breeders Crown final swept by Burke's fillies, landed the pole position. In addition to the eliminations for the Governor's Cup and Three Diamonds, the Meadowlands will host a pair of $20,000 Goldsmith Maid elimination races for 2-year-old trotting fillies and a single Valley Victory elimination with eight spots available following byes given to Kindergarten winner Karl and the top earner Security Protected. The action at the Meadowlands kicks off at 6:20 P.M. (ET) with the first of 14 races on Saturday.