by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Village Jolt, the defending two-year-old male pacing champion, is scheduled to make his first start of the season Saturday night at the Meadowlands in New Jersey Sire Stakes action. Village Jolt, trained by Ed Hart for Jeff Snyder and Arlene and Jules Siegel, won six of 10 races in 2004, including the Breeders Crown and Woodrow Wilson, and earned $918,577. He prepped for this season by winning three qualifiers, most recently in 1:52.2 on May 6.

“He looks good,” Hart said. “He came out of the qualifier real well. I’m really happy with him. He’s always been a big-type colt, and he filled out more since last year. He really muscled up and looks good. You always wonder how they’re going to come back, and at this moment, we’re good. There are going to be more horses popping up this year; it’s going to be a tough year. But his attitude is good and he’s sound. So far, we’re in good shape.”

Village Jolt’s chief rival for year-end honors in 2004, Rocknroll Hanover, also is back in action. The Brett Pelling-trainee won his first qualifier of the year in 1:54 on May 6. Allamerican Inca was second, three-quarters of a length back. Rocknroll Hanover, co-owned by Snyder with Lothlorien Equestrian, won last year’s Metro Pace in a world record 1:49.4.

Windylane Hanover, the 2003 Trotting Mare of the Year, too, is getting set to return to racing. She was second in a qualifier on May 6, finishing a length behind four-year-old gelding Enflammatory in 1:58.2. Windylane Hanover, the 2002 Hambletonian Oaks winner, has won 19 times in 49 career races while earning $1.04 million for lessees Charlie Keller III and IV and Dan Bittle. She is trained by Brett Bittle.