Meadowlands: Star-studded qualifying session held Saturday morning

Several of harness racing's stars were in action on Saturday morning at the Meadowlands as the oval played host to 11 qualifying races.

Love Muffin (Andy Miller), a 3-year-old Andover Hall filly who won seven of ten starts last year, including the PA Stallion Series final, led all the way and came home in 28 seconds to win the second qualifier in 1:55 4/5. After racing for trainer David Wiest as a freshman, she is now being trained by Julie Miller.

Three-year-old Southwind Frank colt Type A, last year's Matron winner, made a first-over move to the lead on the far turn and held off a closing bid by Peter Haughton champion Zenith Stride (Brian Sears) to win the next qualifer in 1:58 2/5. Yannick Gingras steered Type A for trainer Nancy Takter.

Beads, a 4-year-old son of Archangel who won the Kentucky Sires Stakes final last year and had a mark of 1:51 2/5, led throughout and closed in 27 2/5 to win the fifth qualifier impressively in 1:54 2/5 for Brian Sears and Per Engblom. Sorella, the Hambletonian Oaks champion from a year ago, was fourth in that event for Gingras and Takter.

Things then switched over to the pace for qualifier six, and Takter-trained Peaky Sneaky (Scott Zeron), who downed Party Girl Hill in last year's Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Pace final, took her 4-year-old debut, rallying two-wide in the last quarter after sitting in third to prevail in 1:54 2/5.

In the seventh qualifier, Grace Hill, a 3-year-old daughter of Always B Miki who had a record of 4-2-0 from seven tries last year and banked over $210,000, cut the fractions and dug in gamely in the stretch to keep JK First Lady (Andrew McCarthy) at bay in scoring in 1:54 1/5 for Dexter Dunn and Nifty Norman.

Trainer Ron Burke and driver Gingras then dominated the next few races, winning with 3-year-old males Southwind Gendry (1:52 4/5) and Lou's Pearlman (1:53 3/5) before prevailing with $1.8 million earner and 7-year-old Filibuster Hanover (1:51 4/5).

Rounding out this morning's winners were 3-year-old trotting filly Autumn Deo (Lucas Wallin, 1:57 3/5), 3-year-old trotting colt Rattle My Cage (Tim Tetrick, 1:56 1/5), and 4-year-old gelding pacer Ruthless Hanover (Andrew McCarthy, 1:51 4/5).