Here’s who stole the Hambletonian Day show

by Bob Heyden

Stars were shining their brightest on Hambletonian Day 101.

Now that another edition of America’s Trotting Classic is in the books, let’s look at some outstanding moments from that spectacular day.

1. No better place to start than with Marcus Melander who pulled off a trifecta for the ages winning the Cashman with Super Chapter, the Hambletonian Oaks with Nezuko Kamado S, and the Hambletonian with Apex, the first Mohawk Million winner to double up. Melander had 14 entered and got checks with 12 (4-3-2) totaling $958,413. This year was the 25th anniversary of his uncle Stefan Melander winning the 2001 edition of the Hambletonian with Scarlet Knight to remain unblemished on the season.
2. Dexter Dunn got the nod in history’s first ever sub-1:50 Hambletonian with Apex in an epic stretch duel with Big Ranger going 1:49.2. Dunn also took down the Cashman with Super Chapter, last year’s Hambletonian runner-up. This was Dunn’s first Hambletonian victory and follows his first Pace win last month with Brandon Blvd. To find the last time someone turned that double winning each classic for the first time, you’d have to go back to 1991 when Jack Moiseyev won the Pace and Hambletonian with Precious Bunny and Giant Victory, respectively.
3. Yannick Gingras won his all-time best seventh Oaks with Nezuko Kamado S. It was his fourth with a public choice. He and trainer Jimmy Takter won five consecutive Oaks from 2014-18. Gingras also took down the Dr. John Steele Memorial with Walspea.
4. Tim Tetrick missed by an eyelash in the Hambletonian with favored Big Ranger. This came after posting the fastest mile ever recorded on any Hambletonian Day of 1:46.1 in the fifth race, a $40,000 open pace with Best Chip. He also captured the Cane with Sweet Lovin Lou at 14-1. That gave him a Triple Crown race win on each gait in 2026 after having won the Yonkers Trot.
5. Linda Toscano’s boys dominated the card. She trained Heston Blue Chip to a division title in 2012 (3YOCP) and he sired Best Chip. Toscano was also the conditioner of father-and-son Chapter Seven and Walner who on Saturday took down a combined six stakes. Chapter Seven took the $281,200 Cashman and the $500,000 Oaks. He is already a two-time Hambletonian-winning sire with Atlanta and Cool Papa Bell. Walner broke through in a big way now with a Hambletonian credit with Apex. Add the Yonkers Trot winner Inexpressable who captured the Muscle Hill, Wall Of Fame in the NJSS final, and Walspea in the Steele. Seven of the 16 race winners were sired by a Toscano trainee.
6. Hambletonian Day was also picture day. Never before has there been a procession of bang-bang finishes on the same Hambletonian Day. The entire 16-race card was decided by less than 10 lengths. From the seventh through the 16th race, the last 10 races, the combined margin was two lengths, less than a neck per. Remember that this comes during a year of tight finishes. They were three across the wire in the North America Cup and the Adios and four across in the Meadowlands Pace.
7. The Hambletonian Day tale of the tape of U.S.-born trainers versus Swedish-born trainers was U.S. with 51 starters 4-5-6-8-5 and Swedish with 53 starters 7-5-6-5-3.
8. For the 12th consecutive year, the Hambletonian winning driver was not U.S. born, making Brian Sears with Pinkman in 2015 the last.
9. The biggest differential between yearling prices for the first two Hambletonian finishers was just set. How does half a million sound? The sale price was $525,0000 for Apex and $25,000 for Big Ranger. The previous record gap was set in 2010 when Muscle Massive ($425,000) got the measure of Lucky Chucky ($10,000).
10. Todd McCarthy had a long-shot day finishing second at 45-1 (McKee), third at 104-1 (Hambletonian), and fourth at 94-1 (Oaks).

FINALLY…

• Mission Brief got her Hambletonian Day revenge as the dam of the winner Apex. She was second herself to Pinkman in 2015 taking on the boys.
• With two of the last three Drivers of the Year involved in an accident Thursday at Yonkers, it necessitated 29 driver changes for those subbing for Jason Bartlett (2025) and Scotty Zeron (2023). Four of those did win.
• Nice to see David Miller return to The Meadowlands for the first time as the No. 1 money-winning driver of all time, and he won the McKee, too.
• Friday (July 14) is the 33rd Grade 1 Dan Patch at Hoosier Park. Those 32 years saw 32 different winners.