Trainer Marcus Melander brings his “Alliteration Nation” to the Meadowlands this Saturday in hopes of capturing his first Hambletonian. Locals could be calling him Mr. G considering he’ll send out four hopefuls in the sport’s premier race including favorites Greenshoe and Gimpanzee in two eight-horse elimination heats. Melander has a dozen overall spread out through stakes action on the 16-race Meadowlands program and feels quite confident his horses will be ready for battle. “I’ve got a great group of caretakers and trainers,” said Melander, “The work has been put into these horses.” While Melander has been here before with fringe horses, 2019 marks the first time that he comes with horses considered elite for the Hambletonian, and he’s excited to see Saturday unfold. While the focus of many has been on Greenshoe’s immense talent and incredible high speed, Melander hardly appears concerned with the final time. “I don’t care if he has to go in 1:55 or 1:49,” said Melander, “I just want him to win.” Greenshoe is one of five horses that competed in last year’s Peter Haughton Memorial final for rookie trotters and returns to the Hambletonian the following year. He broke in that race, finishing well back of record-setting race winner Don’t Let’em, a horse he will start next to on Saturday afternoon. The two have only faced each other once this year in the Stanley Dancer where Greenshoe posted a 1:50 1/5 personal best leaving much of the field in the dust, including Don’t Let’em, who broke stride on the final turn. While Melander appears more and more confident in Greenshoe this year now that the colt has gone behind the gate smoothly in five consecutive races, he offers much credit to maturity in the horse and the driving talent of Brian Sears. “Brian has been a very important part of the team,” Melander said. “He does a great job taking care of the horses within the race.” Sears has been the driving force behind Greenshoe this year and has also sat behind Gimpanzee in all three of his victories in 2019. Gimpanzee, a son of Chapter Seven, has only raced in New York-Sire events, leading some to question how he’ll do against the best in this class on Saturday over the Meadowlands mile track. “He’s raced over this track in qualifiers,” Melander said, trying to give the undefeated colt additional credit. It’s surprising that anyone would have to defend a Breeders Crown champion that enters the Hambletonian without a career loss, but with Greenshoe’s presence and others racing in near 1:50 speed, Gimpanzee’s career best mile of 1:52 4/5 hasn’t raised many eyebrows. For Melander and company, good fortune placed Gimpanzee (post 7) in the first $70,000 elimination (race 8 on the card) and Greenshoe (post 5) in the second elimination, the very next race. “We’ll see how it goes,” Melander said when asked about driver decisions following the first heat. “I don’t know what Brian’s decision will be.” Of course both will need to qualify for the final and Melander has two other formidable colts also hoping to make the final cut of 10. Green Manalishi S was a horse a year ago that Melander had been high on to become a better 3-year-old. A rather large colt, Melander had predicted that Green Manalishi S would be a better horse over time. “We got backed up with him and had to make some changes,” said Melander. “He was behind and needed the work.” Now with the Hambletonian just days away, the trainer hopes that Green Manalishi S (post 8 in Gimpanzee’s division) will be up to the task. “He was better in his last start than it appears,” said Melander of the 1:52 4/5 Tompkins Geers victory on July 20 at The Meadowlands. “We put in earplugs for the first time and when Tim (Tetrick) pulled them he got really scared and almost broke.” Rounding out Melander’s “G-Men” will be Gerry (post 2), with top international pilot Orjan Kihlstrom in the bike. Though winless in seven starts this season, Melander believes the colt deserves a shot, though he did draw into the tougher division. “He’s in a tough group but I’m glad he drew inside,” said Melander. “The last couple of starts he’s been coming around, trotting home in 26 2/5 and 26 3/5.” Gerry made a break in stride in his last start on July 20 at The Meadowlands, but the trainer thought that had more to do with the sudden shutting down of the pace in the second quarter than any specific issues with Gerry. Melander has had good fortune with sons and daughters of Chapter Seven from a limited supply. On Saturday he’s in search of his first Jim Doherty Memorial victory with the Courant Inc. homebred Hypnotic AM, a filly by Chapter Seven from the Muscle Hill-sired Daydream Am S. “I’ve had one every year. I had Enterprise (placed 3rd in 2017 Hambletonian final, Fourth Dimension (2017 Dan Patch award 2YO colt), Gimpanzee, and now this filly,” said Melander, referring to Hypnotic AM. Already a track record holder at Yonkers heading into last week’s Doherty trials, Hypnotic AM got up in the final stride of the fastest (1:53 3/5) of the three eliminations with Sears in the bike. “That was close,” said Melander. “It does make a difference winning your elimination and getting the good draw. Per’s (Engblom) two drew post 9 and 10.” The unlucky pair (no pun intended) are Hello Tomorrow (post 9) who lost the nose decision after cutting the mile and Ms Savannah Belle, third in the same division. “Burke’s filly is very nice (Crucial), but I think we have the best horse,” said Melander of Hypnotic AM. Sears drove her with immense confidence in her first competitive race at The Meadowlands last week and the filly showed an explosive burst in the final eighth. Last year Melander’s team sent out four horses in the Peter Haughton Memorial. This year he’ll be represented by half of the 10 horses in the $324,550 event carded as race five. “I was very happy with the way they raced last week,” said Melander collectively of the group. “We didn’t draw well with some of them but overall I’m pleased.” Four of the five drew post six or worse, with Capricornus (post 6), Rome Pays Off (post 7), Back Of The Neck (post 8) and Hellbent For Am S (post 10) filling the right side of the starting gate. On a positive note, Expectations drew post one for driver Brian Sears. “Brian had trouble finding room but he finished with a lot of trot,” said Melander of Expectations’ Haughton elimination journey. “I think Jim Campbell’s colt (Real Cool Sam) is the one to beat in there,” Melander said. Miss Trixton earned a spot in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks (race 11) for Melander after finishing fourth in a trial from the pole position last week. Her luck changed radically on Tuesday when she drew post 10 for the final. Rounding out the dozen racing for the trainer is 2018 $1 million Yonkers International Trot champion Cruzado Dela Noche, who recently received an invite to return for this year’s edition. Cruzado Dela Noche drew post six in the $280,000 John Cashman Memorial for older trotters. “I wish there would have been a few more horses entered,” said Melander. “He’s better suited for the longer distances.” A larger field would have added an extra eighth of a mile, but this year’s Cashman will be raced at the standard mile distance. “He’s been OK racing around 1:51,” said Melander. “After this race I’m going to give him some time off to prepare for the International. It’s at a mile and a quarter.” Saturday’s Hambletonian Day program begins at 12:00 noon with the $1 million Hambletonian scheduled as race 12.