Meadowlands: Stoebe and Daley take aim at New Jersey Sire Stakes finals

Trainers Annie Stoebe and Noel Daley will each send out a pair of high-powered sophomore trotters at the Meadowlands on Friday night, hoping to capture the lucrative $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes finals for male and female trotters. Stoebe has a pair of Hambletonian contenders in Diabolic Hill and Mega Shark in the colt division, while Daley sends out the razor-sharp Naked And Famous, along with Oaks eligible Emmas Mystery CCL in the filly division.

Diabolic Hill, the Valley Victory winner at the Meadowlands last November, has made just one start this year, a third-place finish in the second preliminary leg on June 5.

"That wasn't the kind of trip we were looking for," said Stoebe of the first-over grind Diabolic Hill had to make following a very soft opening half-mile.

A five-time winner in 10 starts as a freshman, Diabolic Hill, a son of Muscle Hill, is a different horse in 2026 than he was in 2025 according to his trainer.

"He was diabolical as a 2-year-old," said Stoebe of the demeanor of Diabolic Hill. "He's calmed down this year and is much easier to be around."

Despite his antics as a freshman, Diabolic Hill still managed to earn $506K in 2025 and is now hoping to gain traction and compete in the sport's most lucrative events.

Diabolic Hill (post four) will face seven others, including the defending Dan Patch winner Apex (post three), as well as last year's Wellwood Memorial winner Ardonne (post five) in the event on Friday's program carded as race 10.

Stoebe sends out a sleeper from her own stable in Mega Shark (post two), a Tactical Landing-sired sophomore that went winless in seven tries as a freshman.

"Most his maternal family couldn't trot faster than 1:57 as 2-year-olds," said Stoebe of Mega Shark. "He was timed in 1:55."

Time was a factor in development for Mega Shark, and the results showed themselves early this year when he trotted to a 1:51 3/5 win for Tim Tetrick in a non-winners of 2 on May 15 at the Meadowlands. "I always thought he had talent," said Stoebe. "He's a big awkward horse that still is learning."

Mega Shark made the final with a second- and fourth-place finish in his two preliminary legs.

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Trainer Marcus Melander also has a pair in the Sire Stakes final, and in addition to Apex, second in his first start of the year a week ago, he has American Power, undefeated in three starts, including two preliminary legs of the Sire Stakes. American Power (post six) is a son of Walner from the $2.4 million winner Ariana G, the 2017 Hambletonian Oaks champion.

Rounding out the Sire Stakes field will be leg winner Gabes Luck (post one), Kingmen (post seven) and Practical Man (post eight).

Daley's Naked And Famous has already gone the fastest mile of the 10 fillies in the $225,000 Sire Stakes final carded as race six. The daughter of Six Pack burst onto the national spotlight in a big way with a 1:51 2/5 victory in the Oak Grove Oaks elimination on May 4. Following a disappointing outing in the final, Naked And Famous regrouped with a 1:51 1/5 triumph in the second round of preliminaries for the Sire Stakes.

"I don't know what happened in the final (Oak Grove Oaks)," said Daley. "She got stuck inside, got wound up and made a break."

Naked And Famous has a world of speed but can get a bit hot, and Daley was relieved that she showed calm in her Sire Stakes preliminary victory. "Todd (McCarthy) was really happy with her," said Daley of the Sire Stakes elimination.

Naked And Famous drew outside in the Sire Stakes final with post eight but will be joined by two other high-powered fillies on each flank. Custom, also a winner in her Oak Grove Oaks elimination and a breaker in the final, will start from post seven. The Walner-sired filly from the Per Engblom stable made one Sire Stakes appearance on May 23 and was an easy winner. Jailbird Jog (post nine) has come back this year with a vengeance, capturing the $300,000 Oak Grove Oaks final in a runaway performance on May 16, then returning for her Meadowlands debut on June 5 with an effortless 1:51 4/5 career-best mile in the New Jersey Sire Stakes.

Daley also has Hambo Oaks eligible Emmas Mystery CCL (post one) in the final and hopes post position plays a part in her success. "She needs a trip, but I think she can go with these," said Daley of the Muscle Hill-sired filly that showed talent in winning four times as a freshman.

A few other fillies on the inside of the starting gate could provide the upset should the favorites falter, with trainer Nancy Takter's pair of Leading Lady (post two) and Madam Cheval (post four) showing they belong at this level in preliminary legs.

On the pacing side on Friday's stakes-filled program at the Meadowlands, Daley will send out the 4-year-old Smooth Dream for his first start in nine months in a division of the Graduate Series for $50,000 carded as race four.

"I was hoping to have a start in him before this race," said Daley. "But I wasn't going to race him over that hard surface after spending nine months bringing him back. I'm not usually a fast trainer, but I trained him this morning (June 9), and he came a 26-flat last quarter."

Still, Daley is cautiously-optimistic given the quality and fitness level of the competition in his division. A nine-time winner in 10 starts as a 3-year-old in 2025, Smooth Dream suffered his lone defeat in the Milstein Memorial at Northfield Park last August where he incurred an injury that thwarted a successful season.

Smooth Dream drew post four in a field of nine that includes a solid pair coming down from Woodbine Mohawk Park for the Enrico Robinson stable in Sugar Man (post six) and Bruno No No No (post seven).

The Friday Meadowlands card, which gets underway at 6:35 P.M. (EDT), includes three other Graduate divisions for 4-year-olds, including the return of Dan Patch Award winner Super Chapter.