Hambletonian 2025 Contenders at Meadowlands

100th Hambletonian - Saturday, August 2 at Meadowlands

The 100th Hambletonian, America's greatest harness race, takes place on on Saturday, August 2 at the Meadowlands.

First contested in 1926, the Hambletonian was created by the Hambletonian Society to promote the Standardbred trotting breed. Over the past century, it has endured through rain delays, economic shifts, venue changes, world wars and a global pandemic to consistently crown the champion trotter of the year.

The Hambletonian will be race 12 with a post time of 4:45 p.m. (EDT) at The Big M, which has hosted the event since 1981. The companion $525,000 Hambletonian Oaks is race 14 and will go at 6:06 p.m. Racing will begin at noon.

July 26 - The 100th Hambletonian Grade 1 field was determined on Saturday (July 26) at The Meadowlands by a trio of seven-sophomore trotting fields worth $83,550 each.

Here's the 10 finalists in alphabetical order:

BLANK, EMOTICON LEGACY, GAP KRONOS S, GO DOG GO, GREENMA,MARYLAND, MAXIMUS MEARAS S, MESHUGGAH, NORDIC CATCHER S, SUPER CHAPTER

HAMBO 100 Post Positions will be drawn on Tuesday, July 29.

Favorite Emoticon Legacy held sway with Louis Roy in the bike again for trainer Luc Blais in the first elimination. The homebred son of Walner-Emoticon Hanover made a winning move brushing through the :55.1 half to take the lead to a speedy 1:24.1 three-quarters and, with a last quarter in :27.3, recorded a nose win in a 1:51.4.

Closing late to get second and make next week's final was longshot Greenma driven by trainer Trond Smedshammer. Finishing third to get a spot in the classic trot was Blank, the Marcus Melander-trained colt with Andy McCarthy at the reins. Meshuggah, driven by Scott Zeron, took fourth and qualified for the final by having the highest lifetime earnings of all the fourth-place finishers from the eliminations.

Driver Roy said he had "not much of a game plan" for a trip going into the elim. "Right now, he's perfect to drive. Even in the post parade today he was a perfect horse. We always have the hopples at the same length [but] I got a new bike here - I don't know if it's the bike or the surface, [but] the hopples seem a little tight on him. I don't know if we're restraining him in his gait, but it might be another plus next week if he gets a little looser in there."

Emoticon Legacy looks to extend his four-race winning streak in the trotting classic. His wins up to the Hambletonian eliminations include the Zweig Memorial at Vernon and the Goodtimes at Mohawk, where he set a Canadian record and a lifetime best of 1:50.2.

Determination owns Emoticon Legacy, who raised his lifetime earnings to $459,371. He paid $4.20 to win.

The second Hambletonian elimination saw Super Chapter collect his fifth straight victory in a perfect sophomore season, winning in 1:51.1 in rein to Dexter Dunn. The dominating division son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit was never engaged once taking the lead after a :27 first quarter. An overwhelming favorite in all of his sophomore races including a division of the Stanley Dancer Memorial and the Yonkers Trot (the first jewel of the Trotting Triple Crown), Super Chapter coasted to the elimination victory with little to no urging from Dunn.

Maximus Mearas S swept up real estate in the late going to finish second, beaten 1-3/4 lengths. Gap Kronos S earned the last berth into the final with a third-place finish from a first-over push.

The elimination win balloons Super Chapter's lifetime bankroll to $844,765 for owners Jeffrey Snyder, Arthur Pronti and Hanover Shoe Farms Inc.

"He was super last year," said Mattias Melander, of the Marcus Melander barn. "He's impressed us enough this year that we can't be more impressed." Mattias said he expects there won't be any equipment changes going into the million-dollar mile.

Super Chapter paid $2.10 to win.

Ake Svanstedt guided Nordic Catcher S, his longshot son of Six Pack-That Woman Hanover, to the top from post 1 and commanded his six foes through the two turns to win the last of the Hambletonian eliminations.

Driver-trainer Svanstedt not only went wire to wire to score the victory, his charge recorded a lifetime-best winning mile of 1:50.3.

His main challenger was last year's 2-year-old trotting champion Maryland. The Marcus Melander-trained Maryland left quickly and a bit wide from post 7, but settled into fourth as the field lined up around the backstretch. He left the row and attacked after the :55.3 half to almost nip Nordic Catcher S in a :26.2 sprint to the finish. Nordic Catcher S held onto the victory by a firm nose over Maryland, who is still looking for his first victory as a 3-year-old.

Also attaining a berth in next week's Hambletonian final was Go Dog Go, who went off the 4-5 favorite after his big win over Maryland in a Stanley Dancer Memorial division.

After the race Ake said the minor equipment change of bridle gave him further confidence in his steed. "He performs better and better and I was not afraid of showing high speed [on the lead]," he said. "Maybe pacer blood makes him a bit tougher."

Ake Svanstedt and Jeff Gural's Little E LLC own Nordic Catcher S, who has now earned $313,285 for his two racing seasons. He paid $23.80 to win.

NUMBER 9: Smooth Dream ($2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite) remained perfect in nine seasonal starts - eight of them at The Meadowlands - after taking the first division of the Tompkins-Geers Stake for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers in wire-to-wire fashion in 1:50.1 for driver Jordan Stratton and trainer Noel Daley. The gelded son of Cattlewash-Dreamlands Latte held off rival Manolete by a nose in the $31,825 test as the two combined for an Exacta that paid $3.

ELISTA THE A-LISTER: Fresh off an impressive win in the E.T. Gerry Jr. Hambletonian Maturity, Elista Hanover came right back with another score, this time in the $40,000 fourth leg of the Miss Versatility for open mare trotters. Driven by Dave Miller and trained by Annie Stoebe, the 4-year-old daughter of International Moni-Evermore led at every call to register a lifetime-best equaling time of 1:51.3 as she bested second-place finisher Bravo Angel S by a head. She returned $2.20 as the 1-9 public choice.

CAPTAIN IN COMMAND: Captain Optimistic grabbed the front at the half and went down the road from there to take the second Tompkins-Geers split for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers - this one for $31,325 - in a lifetime-best equaling 1:49 for trainer Nancy Takter and driver Dexter Dunn. The 2-5 favorite, a son of Captaintreacherous-Cinamony, returned $2.80 to win, after finishing 2 lengths in front of second-place finisher Sugar Man.

'MIKI' HITS HIGH GEER: Miki And Minnie popped out of the five-hole just after the half before methodically grinding her way to an easy 1¾-length victory over Gigglingonthebeach in a $52,500 Tompkins-Geers 3-year-old filly pace in 1:49.4. Driven by Dunn and schooled by Chris Ryder, the daughter of Always B Miki-That's The Ticket returned $2.20 as the 1-9 public choice.

A LITTLE MORE: Dunn and Andy McCarthy finished the night tied atop the driver colony leaderboard with three wins apiece. ... Daley and Marcus Melander paced the trainers with a pair of walks down victory lane each. ... All-source handle on the 14-race card totaled $3,233,284. ... Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.

Hambletonian Has Twenty-One Entries

July 22 - A total of 21 horses entered Tuesday for the 100th edition of the Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-old trotters, resulting in three $83,550 eliminations on Saturday (July 26) at The Meadowlands.

Twenty-three horses entered the Hambletonian Oaks, restricted to 3-year-old trotting fillies, resulting in three $50,000 eliminations Saturday at The Big M.

The top three finishers from each elimination plus the fourth-place finisher with the highest lifetime earnings will advance to their respective finals on Aug. 2 at The Meadowlands. The purse for the Hambletonian final is $1 million. The purse for the Hambletonian Oaks final is $500,000.

Elimination winners will draw for posts one through six.

Following are the horses, in alphabetical order, entered for the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks:

2025 HAMBLETONIAN ELIMINATION ENTRIES

Blank
Emoticon Legacy
Fashion Green
Gap Kronos S
Gimpanzee Dancer
Go Ahead Makemyday
Go Dog Go
Grande Via
Greenma
Hidalgo
Landing On Time
Maryland
Maximus Mearas S
Meshuggah
Monserrate
Mr Mouton
Nordic Catcher S
Onajetplane
Super Chapter
The Rogue Prince
Variegated

Hambletonian Oaks Has Twenty-Three Entries

2025 HAMBLETONIAN OAKS ELIMINATION ENTRIES

Aperfect Annie
Champagne Problems
Conversano
Dearly Beloved
Deja Blu
Delaney Hanover
EL Nightwish
Goodgirl Bi IT
Grand Reserve
Kadena
Lady Landia
Lasting Dream
Luna Lovegood
Miss Belmar
R Cee Cee
R Charm
R Dutchess
R Lady W
Sound Judgement
Torrisi
Voguish
Walspea
What A Bid Hanover

OffTrackBetting.com - US Legal Meadowlands OTB is a great way to bet the Hambletonian, Hambletonian Oaks and other major harness racing events online. Available to customers across the United States, OTB features both Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing from major racing venues in the US as well as top international racing from Europe, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong.