Apex wins $1 million Hambletonian Stakes in record time

Apex won the $1 million Hambletonian Stakes for 3-year-old trotters at the Meadowlands, narrowly defeating favorite Big Ranger by a nose. The victory was achieved in a stakes-record time of 1:49.2, which also set a track record for a 3-year-old trotter and fell just one-fifth of a second short of the world record.

The win marked the first Hambletonian victory for both trainer Marcus Melander and driver Dexter Dunn. Melander became only the fourth trainer to win both the Hambletonian and the Hambletonian Oaks in the same year. Dunn became the first driver since 2003 to win both the Meadowlands Pace and the Hambletonian in a single calendar year.

Apex, a 2025 Dan Patch Award winner, has won 10 of 14 career races, earning $1.61 million for owners Jeff Snyder, S R F Stable, and Steve Stewart.