‘NORWAY’ MARCHES ON AT BIG M, WINS 27th STRAIGHT
On To Norway silenced any doubters he might have had, as the Indiana invader upped his winning streak to 27 after taking one of four $50,000 splits of the second leg of the Graduate Series for 4-year-olds of both gaits Friday night at The Meadowlands ...
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- June 12, 2026 -- On To Norway silenced any doubters he might have had, as the Indiana invader upped his winning streak to 27 after taking one of four $50,000 splits of the second leg of the Graduate Series for 4-year-olds of both gaits Friday night at The Meadowlands.
The gelded son of Muscle Massive-One Class Act got away from the gate third in the first division for trotters before moving to the lead at the half in :55.2. With Yannick Gingras steering the Ron Burke trainee, On To Norway hit three-quarters in 1:23.1 while pressured by Meshuggah before shrugging off that foe and drawing clear to an easy 1:49.3 score, a lifetime best which equaled the fastest mile of the year in the sport on the trot, which was established earlier on the card.
“He did it pretty easy,” said Gingras. “He had plenty left (in the stretch).”
As the 4-5 favorite, On To Norway returned $3.60 to his backers after winning for the 31st time from 37 lifetime starts.
Super Chapter gave notice that he’s gunning for a second straight divisional title after crushing his foes in the second division for trotters in a lifetime-best 1:49.3 in his seasonal debut.
The Marcus Melander trainee, who earned $1.2 million during a sensational 2025, picked up right where he left off, as driver Dexter Dunn put him on the lead and never had an anxious moment while cutting out fractions of :27.3, :55.4 and 1:23.3. His mile time is the co-fastest of the year in the sport on the trot, along with On To Norway.
A son of Chapter Seven-Lifetime Pursuit, Super Chapter has now won 15 of 26 lifetime starts, good for earnings just shy of $1.8 million. As the 2-5 favorite, he paid $2.80.
In the first of two Graduate dashes on the pace, Go Go Grasshopper, an excellent upper-echelon overnight horse when last seen in December, showed he is now something more.
The ridgling by Sweet Lou-Faster Faster went all the way on the front end for trainer-driver Joe Bongiorno in his seasonal debut. After reaching the half in a tepid :56, ‘Grasshopper’ roared home to the tune of a :52.3 back half to stop the clock in a lifetime-best 1:48.3. The pocket-sitting Swingtown was moving to the winner in deep stretch only to come up a nose short. Bruno No No No, the 4-5 favorite, went first-up for the final half and had to settle for third.
As the 8-5 second choice in the betting, Go Go Grasshopper returned $5.40 to win as he scored for the seventh time from just 18 lifetime starts. Smooth Dream, who went eight-for-eight at The Meadowlands a year ago, finished fourth.
Captain Optimistic, the Nancy Takter trainee who was a major player on the sophomore male pacing trail a year ago, sent out word that he might be a superstar as a 4-year-old, unleashing a season’s-fastest 1:46.4 score in the second Graduate pace with Scott Zeron at the controls.
The son of Captaintreacherous-Cinamony brushed to the lead at the half in a demanding :53.2 before pacing his back half in an identical :53.2 clocking to complete the mile in an effort that lowered his previous lifetime best by one-and-one-fifth seconds.
He returned $7.60 as the 5-2 second choice in the betting after winning for the 14th time in 34 career tries. His earnings are now just under $1.2 million.
A LITTLE MORE:
Bookie J, at No. 6 the highest-ranked horse in the track’s Road to the Meadowlands Pace Top 10 poll not racing in the North America Cup, had an easy time of it in a New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund pace, going wire-to-wire in a lifetime-best 1:48.4 as the 1-9 favorite for Dunn and trainer Chris Ryder to stay perfect in five 2026 outings. … Rodney Duncan, with a final bankroll of $822, and John Skladany, $497, finished 1-2, respectively, in the $1,000 Meadowlands Monthly Handicapping Contest. Each has now earned a spot in the $10,000 contest final on Dec. 12. … Dunn led the drivers with five wins on the card while Melander led the trainers with four walks down victory lane. … All-source betting on the 14-race program totaled $2,581,056. … There is no racing or simulcasting on Saturday (June 13) at The Big M due to a live World Cup soccer match at MetLife Stadium. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:35 p.m.
