Meadowlands: Max Contract, Date Night seek undercard upsets for Miller

There's one horse entered in Saturday's $150,000 Mistletoe Shalee that would appear on paper better suited for a non-winners of three type of race rather than an elite sophomore filly pacing contest. Max Contract, an extremely lightly-raced daughter of Huntsville, will go up against the best of the division, including the unbeaten Treacherous Dragon, at the Meadowlands, and her conditioner Julie Miller is optimistic.

"I liked her from the start," said Miller of the $200,000 yearling buy that raced just once as a 2-year-old and enters her first major stakes event with just four starts.

"Obviously I wish she had more experience," said Miller, who recognized that Saturday's race is asking a bit extra of her charge. "It's not easy to find any races for her, and I'd like to keep her off the half-mile track for now."

Miller has been buoyed by the last two miles that Max Contract has put in at the Meadowlands. "I think the qualifier that she beat Early Action and No Win No Feed proved to me that she was the kind of filly I have thought she was," said Miller. "In her last start she had to go up against older mares. I know it wasn't the class she'll face on Saturday, but it was encouraging."

Max Contract showed blistering speed in both miles, winning a qualifier in 1:50 2/5 on June 25. In each of her recent miles, she effortlessly came home in 26 seconds while appearing to have something in reserve.

Max Contract did race in one stakes race this year, as Miller sent her for a New York Sire Stakes appearance at Vernon Downs on June 17. Max Contract was in contention but lost her gait on the final turn when picking up speed.

"That was my fault," Miller said about the break in stride. "I had the wrong shoes on her, and the track at Vernon is a lot different than the track at the Meadowlands."

"I'd be happy with a check," joked Miller about her expectations on Saturday. "I kind of hope they mix it up a little bit."

Max Contract drew post seven in the nine-horse Mistletoe Shalee, race seven on the stakes-filled program. Andy Miller will guide her against a solid group, including the aforementioned Treacherous Dragon (post four), who will be in search of her seventh straight victory without defeat in 2022. The field also contains a pair of notable stakes performers from the Tony Alagna stable. Boudoir Hanover (post five) was a recent 1:48 3/5 winner in the Nadia Lobell stakes at Harrah's Hoosier Park on July 1. The Captaintreacherous-sired miss was too far back in the Fan Hanover where she finished fifth behind Treacherous Dragon. Alagna also puts Queen Of Successs (post eight) in the mix. Another Fan Hanover finalist, Queen Of Success recently prepped for the race with a solid qualifier at the Meadowlands on July 9.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Miller is hoping to see some improvement with Date Night in one of two $100,000 divisions of the Del Miller, an event for 3-year-old trotting fillies, and likely final prep before the Hambletonian Oaks.

"We did everything we could to give her confidence last year, sending her to Kentucky and putting her in the Commonwealth," said Miller. "And that paid off nicely."

Date Night ended the well-managed 2-year-old season with seven wins in seven starts and an impressive 1:50 4/5 record taken at The Red Mile. As a 3-year-old Date Night has spent more time in qualifiers than in competitive races, having just one pari-mutuel start to date with the stakes season heating up.

"We've still got a few things to iron out," said a cautious, yet confident Miller.

With the big prizes still in the future, Saturday's Del Miller (race three) will give the stable a chance to see how they match up with the best fillies in training.

"We drew into the tougher division," Miller said, noting that Date Night (post six) will be outside last year's Mohawk Million champion Venerable (post three) and only inside one filly, namely Joviality S, this year's Yonkers Trot winner that returns to face her own sex in this contest.

Joviality S has won all five of her starts this year, and Saturday's race will likely be the final chance for her connections to assess the competition and determine whether she races in the August 6 $1,000,000 Hambletonian or opts to compete against her own gender in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks.

Free Harness Eye past performances for Saturday's Meadowlands card and more information on a special DRF Bets 10% rebate on exotic wagers is available here.