Meadowlands: Graduate Series prelims conclude

After failing to fire from the pocket in a third-place finish behind Super Chapter last week, Mr Mouton mounted a four-wide stretch rally to spring a 42-1 upset with a 1:50 2/5 victory in his $50,000 third-round division of the Graduate Series for 4-year-old trotters on Saturday (June 20) at the Meadowlands - and, in doing so, ended On To Norway's win streak at 27 races.

Trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt secured the pocket with Mr Mouton behind early leader Walspea (driven by Jason Bartlett) on the first turn before being relegated to third as 6-5 second choice Go Dog Go (Todd McCarthy) brushed to control just before hitting the half in 55 seconds. Just as Go Dog Go cleared, Yannick Gingras activated On To Norway first-over out of fourth, and the Indiana sensation ground forward to apply stern pressure to Go Dog Go through a 28 2/5 third split. Meanwhile, Mr Mouton had been shuffled back to fifth in the six-horse field, but Svanstedt was able to angle him off the pegs and point him four-wide off the turn for home.

At the eighth pole, Go Dog Go appeared to be holding his ground over On To Norway, but Mr Mouton unleashed a ferocious rally down the grandstand side, striking the front 40 yards from the winning post and prevailing by a half-length. On To Norway remained strong enough to save second in his first defeat since April 3, 2025; Go Dog Go gave way and finished third.

"He's been better and better every race," said Svanstedt, who trains Mr Mouton for Knutsson Trotting, Little E LLC., Stolz Geiger, and Jorgen Sparredal Inc. "I expected a good race from him today. I didn't have any choice (but to race him from off-the-pace after being shuffled), but he came home fast and he fought well."

Mr Mouton, now a six-time winner from 15 starts, has increased his career earnings to $277,992. As the second-longest shot on the board, the Chapter Seven-Burberry gelding paid $87.80 to win.

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Off his 1:49 3/5 win in second-round action, Super Chapter rode the pocket to his second victory in as many tries as a 4-year-old, rolling to an easy 1:51 1/5 score in the second trotting section.

Dexter Dunn pushed Super Chapter forward from the pole to protect the pocket behind 45-1 pace-setter Happy Jack B (Gingras), who controlled a soft 57 1/5 first-half before picking up the tempo through a 27 1/5 third sectional. Upon cornering for home, Dunn tipped Super Chapter off the pegs, and the Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit entire shifted gears instantaneously to eclipse the tiring Happy Jack B in a matter of strides and open a quick 2 1/2 lengths to the sixteenth pole. In deep stretch, Dunn took Super Chapter in-hand and measured his winning margin to three-quarters of a length. Warrior (Svanstedt) circled three-wide to take second around the one-paced Delaney Hanover (Zeron), who finished third.

"He's like driving a sports car," Dunn said of last year's richest sophomore trotter. "Once we got in the two-hole and there was no movement, I was happy to give him cover tonight. He exploded (in the stretch) like he usually does."

Marcus Melander trains Super Chapter, now a 16-time winner with $1,807,359 in the bank, for Jeffrey Snyder, Arthur Pronti and Hanover Shoe Farms. As the 1-20 favorite, Super Chapter paid $2.10 to win.

On the pacing side, Prince Hal Hanover threw down a monstrous 1:48 mile to win his division, calling all the shots through splits of 26 1/5, 54 4/5 and 1:22 2/5 in line to Todd McCarthy before unleashing 25 3/5 stretch speed to outpace second-leg winner Captain Optimistic (Scott Zeron) by a measured three-quarters of a length. Swingtown (Gingras) finished third, another 3 1/2 lengths behind, after a stagnant first-over bid through the far turn.

"I was looking for a bit of a breather in the middle-half, and I thought the tempo was still pretty stable," said McCarthy, who drove the Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip entire for trainer Dr. Ian Moore and Prince Hal Hanover Stable. "It's always tough on a night like this; there's a little bit of a headwind here, and it's been a bit tough on the leaders tonight. To come the last quarter we did was impressive."

Prior to his Graduate win, which was the 14th of his career and elevated his career earnings to $1,375,262, Prince Hal Hanover acquitted himself well against older company - rallying for second in the Grade 2 Battle of Lake Erie and finishing third in the Grade 3 Mohawk Gold Cup - and gave McCarthy plenty of optimism that his charge will hold his own in the free-for-all pacing ranks as the season progresses.

"This horse has never let me down; he just does his job every time," he said. "He's really well put together, he's got a lot of size, and he's got the attitude. When the time comes, I'm sure he'll be willing to take that step."

As the 3-5 favorite, Prince Hal Hanover paid $3.20 to win.

The second pacing division saw Fallout and Tim Tetrick quarter-move to the lead at the end of a 26 4/5 first split from an early pocket behind Smooth Dream before yielding to Bruno No No No (Jason Bartlett) to draft behind middle splits of 53 3/5 and 1:20 4/5. Off the turn for home, Tetrick angled Fallout off the pegs to take aim at Bruno No No No, and the Captaintreacherous-Aria Hanover entire sprinted to the lead at will, accelerating home 1 1/4 lengths the best for a lifetime-best 1:47 4/5 score. Crack Shot (Jordan Stratton) split foes in mid-stretch and closed ground steadily for second; Fifth And Five (Zeron) emerged to just nab Bruno No No No for third.

Fallout, a nine-time winner with $941,077 in the bank from 34 starts, is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr, Phil Collura and Knox Services. He paid $6 to win as the 2-1 favorite.

The $250,000 (estimated) Graduate finals for each gait, both Grade 2 events, will take place Saturday, July 4.