BIG WEEKEND FOR STOEBE AT THE BIG M

HIGHTSTOWN, NJ -- July 3, 2025 -- The Fourth of July weekend at The Meadowlands will bring more than fireworks for trainer Annie Stoebe.

On Friday, Stoebe will have the busiest night of her burgeoning career when she sends five 2-year-olds into the opening round of the Kindergarten Classic Series at The Big M, followed on Saturday by a trip to the $230,000 Grade 2 Stan Bergstein Graduate Series final for 4-year-old trotters with Elista Hanover.

Stoebe, who started her own stable in 2021 with two horses, has seen the numbers in her barn increase incrementally over the years. This season, she has 12 horses, with all but two being 2-year-olds.

“It’s a big change but I’m ready and prepared for it,” said Stoebe, a 37-year-old Montana native now living in New Jersey. “It’s very exciting. I have more horses than I’ve ever had, but I’m still able to have the one-on-one connections that are so important to me.”

In Friday’s Kindergarten action, Stoebe will send out three trotting colts – Diabolic Hill, Mega Shark, and Classic Pickle – and two trotting fillies, Shoppin For Gucci and Extra Gears. All five horses are owned by Mazza Racing Stables, with Stoebe sharing in ownership of Diabolic Hill and Classic Pickle. AC Crawford Racing Stable shares in Shoppin For Gucci.

Diabolic Hill, a $300,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase under the name Ocean Rider, is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line in the first of three $25,000 divisions for the male trotters. The son of Muscle Hill-Crysti Dream will have Andy McCarthy in the sulky. He won the first of his two qualifiers last month in 1:57.2, last quarter in :27.1, on June 7 at The Meadowlands.

“I’m very high on Diabolic Hill,” Stoebe said. “He’s a very, very talented colt. We bought him from Concord (Stud Farm). When we turned him out in the paddock to look at him, there was just something special about him. He just has the whole package, and he carries that onto the track.

“In his first baby race, he came :27.1 on the end and was just playing in the stretch. Training down, he was a machine. He finally had to work in a training mile when he trained with Elista (Hanover) last week. And it’s extra exciting for me because so far in my career I’ve had trotting fillies exclusively. This is my first year with colts and geldings, so to have a special colt the first year is pretty cool.”

Mega Shark, a son of Tactical Landing-Megadolce, is 4-1 in the second Kindergarten division with driver Todd McCarthy while Classic Pickle, a son of Tactical Landing-Classic Martine, is 6-1 in the third with driver Jeremy Morrison.

Both horses have provided a bit of fun for Stoebe and her stable crew.

“You can make so many great puns with Classic Pickle’s name,” Stoebe said. “Like all work and no play makes Pickle a dill boy. So, his name is funny. And Mega Shark, from day one, has been Baby Shark. So, we sing the Baby Shark song to him.”

Shoppin For Gucci, a daughter of Chapter Seven-Born On Third Base, will compete in the first of two $25,000 Kindergarten divisions for the fillies. She will leave from post nine with driver David Miller and is 12-1 on the morning line. Extra Gears, by Walner out of Mazzarati, will start from post eight in the second division, also with Miller, and is 6-1.

“I wish the fillies had drawn better but they’re both very nice,” Stoebe said. “Extra Gears is a special filly in our barn because Mario Mazza owned and raced the dam, Mazzarati. It’s special for us and the ownership to have her first foal. Shoppin For Gucci is one of the classiest Chapter Sevens I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a few of them. She’s just a very nice filly, and very talented.

“Fingers crossed. They all trained good on Tuesday. I’m confident going into the weekend. With the first start, though, I just want them to have a good experience. Bad experiences can affect them down the road. So, that’s my biggest thing; good trips and no road hazards.”

On Saturday, Stoebe’s mare Elista Hanover will have to overcome post 10 in the Graduate Series final for trotters. She is 6-1 on the morning line, with Miller in the sulky.

Two weeks ago, Elista Hanover finished second to stallion Private Access in the last preliminary round of the series. She was beaten by a half-length in 1:50.2, rallying from seventh in the stretch with a :26.3 kick home.

For her career, the daughter of International Moni-Evermore has hit the board in 22 of 31 races, winning 13 and earning $514,626 for owners Lynn and Philomena Curry and Stoebe.

“The way she raced two weeks ago was lights out,” Stoebe said. “I could not believe how much she closed. And that’s her game; she loves running horses down. So, hopefully, David can give her a trip and give her some fresh air in the lane. If he can get her fresh air, she’ll be in the mix, that’s for sure. She’s ready, and she’s going to lay all out on the line.

“She showed that she’s game. She can take on all of them.”

Private Access, who is 3-for-3 this season for trainer Luc Blais and driver Louis-Philippe Roy, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the Graduate trot final.

In the pace final, Nijinsky is the 5-2 choice over Captain Albano at 3-1. Captain Albano will leave from post 10, just as he did two weeks ago in the series when he was beaten by a nose by Nijinsky from post five. Nijinsky starts from post six Saturday.

Racing begins at 6:20 p.m. (EDT) Friday at The Meadowlands, and at 7 p.m. Saturday for Fan Appreciation Night and fireworks.

Action from The Meadowlands and Ohio’s Eldorado Scioto Downs will air nationally Saturday from 8-11 p.m. on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) as part of the New York Racing Association’s “America’s Day at the Races” telecast.

For free TrackMaster past performances for The Big M, visit the track’s website here.