Apex prevails in NJSS Platinum final

After coming up just short of stablemate American Power in his 2026 debut last week, divisional Dan Patch Award winner Apex absolutely looked the part of a 1-9 favorite in his second seasonal showing, posting a career-best 1:50.3 win in Friday’s (June 12) $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Platinum Division final for 3-year-old male trotters at the Meadowlands.

Dexter Dunn was in no hurry early with the Walner-Mission Brief colt, landing in fifth on approach to the first turn as Diabolic Hill (driven by Todd McCarthy) and American Power (Mattias Melander) advanced to dispute the early lead. Following a brief pocket tuck behind Diabolic Hill, American Power pushed forward to control a :27.4 first quarter before yielding to Diabolic Hill on the backstretch. Meanwhile, Dunn and Apex were lurking on the outside after angling off the pegs midway on the first turn and gradually floating forward, and they accelerated to take charge at the :55.2 halfway station.

On the far turn, American Power began a second move when Ardonne (Scott Zeron) flushed him out with five-sixteenths to go, but he could only offer mild pressure to Apex past the 1:23.3 three-quarters before leveling off in the stretch. Apex was kept to his task by mild Dunn encouragement in mid-stretch, and he threw down a :27 closing sectional to keep Diabolic Hill’s inside bid a half length at bay with plenty in reserve. American Power protected third, another 3 lengths in arrears.

“He had a great year last year, but he’s definitely matured a lot,” said Dunn of Apex. “We were out until the half, and when he got the front, he was marching on and feeling great. … Hopefully this guy’s on track for another good season.”

A seven-time winner from 11 starts, Apex has earned $990,548 for Jeffrey Snyder, S R F Stable and Steve Stewart. The Marcus Melander trainee paid $2.20 to win.

Dunn and Melander teamed up to also take the $40,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Silver Division final for 3-year-old male trotters with the Muscle Hill-Nixie Volo gelding Nix Nacken, who rolled to a world-record 1:50 victory for Courant Inc. Dunn also captured the $40,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Silver final for 3-year-old trotting fillies, teaming Carter Pinske trainee Brattitude, a daughter of Tactical Landing-Love Muffin, to a 1:52.3 win for the partnership of Robert LeBlanc, David Anderson, Pryde Stables Inc. and John Fielding.

In the $225,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Platinum final for 3-year-old trotting fillies, Madam Cheval overcame mid-race traffic trouble by fanning five-wide off the home turn and closing into a collapsing pace for a lifetime-best 1:51.3 score.

Tim Tetrick dove Madam Cheval into the pocket to draft behind Emmas Mystery CCL (Andy McCarthy) through a :27.4 first quarter, but the pair was quickly relegated to fourth as Oak Grove Trotting Oaks winner Jailbird Jog (Anthony MacDonald) sustained her three-wide push through the first turn to eclipse both the two-wide Custom (Jason Bartlett) and Emmas Mystery CCL and take charge upon reaching the backstretch. As Jailbird Jog pulled the tempo back slightly through a :56.1 half mile, 3-2 favorite Naked And Famous (Todd McCarthy) began her first-over push out of midfield, and the advancing outer tier caused Madam Cheval to be shuffled back to seventh midway on the far turn.

With five-sixteenths to go, Naked And Famous had put a length on Jailbird Jog but failed to clear her stubborn inside foe and began to tire off the corner for home. Meanwhile, Tetrick found room to angle Madam Cheval fourth-over before fanning the Walner-Shake It Cerry filly five-wide past three-quarters in 1:24.1. Jailbird Jog reclaimed the lead and extended it back to a length at the eighth pole, but the third-quarter pressure did her in as a host of pursuers from off the pace engulfed her in the final yards. Madam Cheval closed best down the grandstand side to eclipse stablemate Leading Lady (Scott Zeron), who emerged three-wide around the tiring Naked And Famous, by a neck. Custom split foes in deep stretch to save third.

Naked And Famous faded to finish ninth in the 10-horse field.

“I got a little lucky to get out down the backside into third-over position, but once she got clear sailing, she knew what to do,” said Tetrick of Madam Cheval, whom Nancy Takter trains for Maurizio Biasuzzi’s M. Biasuzzi Stable Inc. “She’s come back really good this year; every start’s been a good one.”

A four-time winner from 16 starts, Madam Cheval boosted her career earnings to $248,552 with her third win from four attempts this season. Off the 9-1 fifth choice, she paid $21.60 to win.