The Marcus Melander stable will be out in force on Saturday night with the first round of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for 3-year-olds of both sexes featured on the 14-race program at the Meadowlands. Heading a strong group for Melander is the Mohawk Million winner Oh Well, a son of Muscle Hill making his sophomore debut in a $30,000 NJSS division carded as race nine. "He was a big colt last year," said Melander. "He's filled out a lot." Oh Well was first or second in seven of his eight starts a year ago and earned $740k in the process. In his debut on April 29 in a qualifier at the Meadowlands, Oh Well was a handy winner in 1:55 over a sloppy surface. "I was very happy with his qualifier," Melander said. A $530,000 Harrisburg yearling in the fall of 2021, Oh Well drew post seven in a field of nine for his debut and will face a strong field that includes Celebrity Bambino (post two), along with stablemate Upstaged (post one). Upstaged was fourth behind Oh Well in his lone qualifier and his trainer hopes for some improvement. "He raced well in some of the big races last year," Melander said. "I think the qualifier will set him up nicely for this race." Upstaged was in fact upstaged as a freshman but still managed to earn $145K with but one victory in 11 starts. Melander kicks off the Saturday night card with a pair in the $30,000 first round of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for sophomore fillies, with Kaddari (post four) and Secret Volo (post eight) facing seven others in a competitive first division (race three). "Kaddari had a lot of bad luck last year, but she trained well and that's why we brought her back," said Melander of the Walner-sired lass that needed oral surgery in March and later got sick, forcing the team to shut her down. Kaddari makes her Sire Stakes debut after sweeping the Weiss Series at Pocono and is currently undefeated in three lifetime starts. "It's a step up for her," said Melander of the Sire Stakes, "But I think she's ready for it." Melander is aware of the talent in the field that includes Walner Payton (post five), a winner of $674,900, Blonde Bombshell (post two) and stablemate Secret Volo (post eight). "I was very happy with [Secret Volo's] qualifier finishing second behind Special Way," said Melander, referring of course to last year's divisional champion. A winner just once last year, Secret Volo had some tough racing luck as a juvenile. "She drew outside in the big races," said Melander. More specifically, Secret Volo finished fifth in the James Doherty Memorial from post 10 and was unplaced from post 10 in last year's Breeders Crown final. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Air Power and Dire Straits give Melander a pair in the first division of the NJSS for sophomore trotting colts and geldings, carded as race four on the program. "Air Power trained down well and has potential," said Melander of the Muscle Hill-sired colt that made just three starts as a freshman. "He qualified back well and raced well in his first start." Air Power took a personal-best 1:52 1/5 mark in his May 5 debut at the Meadowlands. Dire Straits is a Muscle Hill-sired colt trained by Marcus's brother Mattias that won three of his 10 starts as a freshman while racing against the best in Kentucky and elsewhere. "He qualified well and should be ready," said Melander of the winner of $195K. Joining Melander's pair in this division is another dual-bred competitor in Ari Ferrari J (post one). Kimmeridgian (post eight) finished third behind Oh Well in his qualifier and debuts for trainer Ake Svanstedt in this division. A son of Walner, Kimmeridgian last finished second in the Valley Victory final to division champion Volume Eight. Melander is optimistic the lightly-raced Karaboudjan could have a nice year, but at the same time realistic of her chances on Friday night. "When you enter them in stakes you hope they can get into a field they are competitive with," said Melander. "She's in with a pretty strong group." Karaboudjan (post one) faces eight rivals in the $30,000 NJSS division going as race five. Karaboudjan made just two starts as a freshman and won for the first time last week (May 5) in 1:53 1/5, but that was versus non-winners of one. On Saturday she'll meet seasoned stakes competition, with champion Special Way (post seven) set for her debut. Special Way trotted a 1:55 mile in a qualifier at the Meadowlands while totally in-hand for Ake Svanstedt on April 29 and was spectacular during her first year on the track. Mambacita was nearly a half-million-dollar winner during her first season on the track for trainer Tony Alagna. A daughter of Tactical Landing, Mambacita drew post three for her sophomore debut. The Meadowlands card gets started at 6:20 P.M. with seven Sire Stakes events for 3-year-olds.