Meadowlands: Stakes performers appear in qualifying races

Five qualifiers were held on Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands, with some prominent trotters and pacers in action.

Altar (Jimmy Takter), last year's New Jersey Sire Stakes champion in the 2-year-old filly trotting division, took the opening race by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:54 3/5 off a pocket trip. finishing ahead of stakes winner Iteration (Mattias Melander). After racing for Per Engblom last year, the daughter of Muscle Hill is now being trained by Nancy Takter for owner/breeder Diamond Creek Farm.

Dancinginthedark M (Tim Tetrick) went first-up from fourth on the far turn and went on to win the second qualifier by a length and a half in 1:53 1/5 for trainer Marcus Melander. Ake Svansted trainees Incommunicado (Sarah Svanstedt) and Ambassador Hanover (Ake drove) were second and third. A Readly Express colt, Dancinginthedark M is owned by breeder Menhammar Stuteri AB and took a division of the Bluegrass last year at The Red Mile in 1:52 2/5. He is a Hambletonian eligible.

When Dovescry (David Miller) opened up a big lead and won the third qualifier by 26 lengths in 1:55 4/5, capped off with a 26 4/5 final kicker. A former Hambletonian Oaks winner and $1.1 million earner, the now 5-year-old daughter of Muscle Hill was second in her division of the first leg of the Miss Versatility Series on May 8 at the Meadowlands.

Tetrick and Melander teamed up again to take the fourth qualifier with 3-year-old Captaintreacherous colt Ilderton AM. A one-time winner in ten starts as a 2-year-old for owner Courant Inc., Ilderton AM cut the mile and just held off Albergita Hanover (Scott Zeron), the third-place finisher in the New York Sire Stakes final for 2-year-old pacing fillies in 2020, by a nose in a 1:52 1/5 mile.

1:46 4/5 pacer Cattlewash made a successful 4-year-old debut in the finale, moving to the lead in the second quarter and going on to a 3 1/4 length decision in 1:50 3/5 for David Miller and Ron Burke. Cattlewash, a son of Somebeachsomewhere, is owned by breeder W.J. Donovan.