Trainer Marcus Melander understands the weight of each week's performances leading up to the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks. With the stable top-heavy in sophomore trotting talent, Melander will use Saturday's Del Miller Memorial divisions for 3-year-old filly trotters, and the companion Stanley Dancer Memorial, as the necessary hurdles before major decisions are required in a couple of weeks. Heading Melander's sophomore stars into action at the Meadowlands on Saturday will be Dancinginthedark M, a vastly more reliable son of Readly Express that has emerged in 2021 as a force to be reckoned with. "He's definitely matured," said Melander. "Last year he was a bit grabby." With Tim Tetrick as his regular pilot, Dancinginthedark M has captured three of his four races, all at the Meadowlands, and enters the $135,500 first Dancer division (race two) on Saturday night as the likely odds-on favorite. A winner in the Reynolds last Saturday over the same track in a career-best 1:51 4/5 clocking, Dancinginthedark M drew the pole in a field of six. The one blemish this year came when Dancinginthedark M misfired before the start of a Meadowlands overnight race on June 26. "He had post 10 that night," said Melander. "He started looking towards the grandstand where there was a lot going on, including balloons." Dancinginthedark M got sidetracked but obviously not completely off track. "He's been fine, and I think it's been to his benefit that he's raced every race at the Meadowlands," remarked Melander. Despite the break in stride, Melander didn't make any changes, and Dancinginthedark M showed his maturity in the career-best performance, working his way through the race despite a downpour and a rain-soaked surface. The Dancer will be his final tune-up before the July 31 scheduled Hambletonian eliminations. In the second Dancer division (race 11) Melander has an uphill climb with Sonofamistery, a colt that won in 1:51 2/5 on June 11 at the Meadowlands but has since had issues finishing up his miles. "He's been running down," said Melander, who hopes to change some shoeing to correct the issue. Sonofamistery has broken stride while on the lead in his last two starts, frustrating his connections. "He's a very fast horse," Melander said Adding to Sonofamistery's (post seven) issues in his Dancer division is the presence of Captain Corey (post two) and Venerate (post three). Captain Corey picks up Yannick Gingras off an impressive qualifier for trainer Ake Svanstedt. Venerate enters the Dancer off a sterling winning performance while racing parked the mile in the Reynolds last Saturday night. Melander will send out three fillies in the Del Miller Memorial, with a pair entered in the first division (race one) worth $142,000. Imhatra AM S (post six) and Ineffable (post seven) were handicapped by the draw to start, but Melander is hoping that Ineffable is on the course he expected of her as a juvenile in 2020. "We really liked her a lot last year," said Melander of Ineffable, a daughter of Cantab Hall that commanded a $600,000 price tag at the Lexington Selected sale in 2019. "I was happy with her performance at Chester (Harrah's Philadelphia) the other day. I know it was just an overnight, but she trotted out of the eight-hole and came a last quarter in 27 4/5," said Melander. The 1:53 3/5 clocking was her career-best. "Inhatra AM S raced OK at Yonkers, and we want to see how well she does here before deciding on the Oaks," said Melander of the daughter of Muscle Hill that has but one win in eight starts this year. "She may be a notch below the top level." Melander's pair will have to overcome a solid group that includes last year's standout Donna Soprano (post two) and the New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Beltassima (post five). Iteration (post two) goes in the second $139,500 Del Miller Memorial division carded as race three of 14 on the Saturday program. "She raced great at Yonkers but was no good last Sunday at Tioga," said Melander. "I don't know if it was the track being hard or not. On Monday she was fine and that's why I put her in." Iteration had previously won her first three starts in 2021, all stakes events within the New York state border. The full sister to Gimpanzee will face her toughest test of the season against an all-star group that includes last year's Breeders Crown champion Lady Chaos (post four) and the Jim Doherty Memorial winner Darlene Hanover (post three). Melander will also send out his top 4-year-old trotting mare Hypnotic AM in the $400,000 E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity at distance of a mile and one eighth. "She just puts in a big effort every time we race her," said Melander. Last week Hypnotic AM was a long first-over second in the Graduate Series final as the lone mare in the field. The Hambletonian Maturity drew 12 horses, with Hypnotic AM landing post three in the eighth-race scene-setter for the $700,000 Meadowlands Pace in race nine. "Maybe that some of the other horses have to go off Lasix will help," said Melander, understanding that five in the field will be off the medication on Saturday. The Meadowlands will start its program at 6:00 p.m. Saturday and offer a $125,000 guaranteed Pick 4 in race six and a $75,000 promised pool in race 10.