Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — At age 51, trainer Tony Alagna has run his own stable for 14 years, while 35-year-old Annie Stoebe opened her small operation just two years ago. Despite their difference in age and experience, the two are both pursuing the same goal Saturday, a win in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks for 3-year-old female trotters at The Meadowlands.

Alagna enters the fray with elimination winner Heart On Fire and Mambacita, while Stoebe goes with Instagram Model, a Hambo Day winner last year in the Jim Doherty Memorial.

A Hambletonian winner with filly Ramona Hill in 2020, Alagna has been an Oaks bridesmaid twice, finishing second with Pink Coco Chanel last year and with Caprice Hill in 2016.

Heart On Fire was a stunning Oaks elimination winner at 36-1 last Saturday. Lisa photo.

Heart On Fire was a stunning elimination winner at 36-1 last Saturday, coming from sixth at three-quarters to win in 1:51.2. The filly was fourth early in the mile as Bond set fractions of :25.4 and :53.4 to the half.

“I figured (the opening :25.4 quarter) was going to sort of bring us into it a little bit,” driver Todd McCarthy said. “So, I figured fourth there was a good spot. Obviously, we were chasing in that quarter, too, to keep our spot and I was just hoping she was going to have enough to finish there. She certainly did.”

Alagna noted Heart On Fire has matured immensely from ages 2 to 3, although she did produce some nice paydays last year, including a win in the Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes and second-place finish by a nose against Bond in the Kindergarten Classic Series final.

“It couldn’t have worked out any better for her in her elimination,” he said about last week’s performance. “Of course, she still had to do her part, but the way the race set up was the kind of trip you dream about. She still had to capitalize on it, but when it opened up for her, she did. I’ve got to be happy about that.”

The filly, owned by Eric Good since July 24, has now won $306,789 after collecting her fifth victory in 18 tries. The question is, does the daughter of Father Patrick-Corazon Blue Chip have enough to win it Saturday? She will start from post two and is 5-1 on the morning line.

“She’s been good this year,” Alagna said. “She’s had a lot of bad trips, no fault of anybody, it’s just the way she drew or the way it worked out. She’s a really good closer. She can fire home hard. When they bring her race to her, she can capitalize on it.”

McCarthy, who won last year’s Hambletonian with Cool Papa Bell, added, “To me, it seems like she’s starting to get a little more comfortable. (In the elim) it was the happiest she’s been out there. She’s been a filly that’s been a little bit temperamental, but she’s always showed something for me, and I’ve always really liked her. It was just great she could show up and do that. Hopefully she’s as good (in the final).”

Mambacita has won seven of 22 career races, hit the board eight more times, and earned $612,518. Amanda Stephens photo.

Mambacita raced in the opposite elimination last week, finishing fifth in a race won by Walner Payton (the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the final) in 1:51.4. Alagna hoped Mambacita would be sharper this weekend after having time to get reacclimated to life in New Jersey. She spent more than a month in Kentucky for sire stakes races at Oak Grove and won the early-series finale there on July 4 with a track record-equaling 1:53 victory.

“Hopefully, she will bounce back and be a little bit better in the (Oaks) final,” Alagna said. “We’ll change her routine around a little bit and hopefully she will brighten up and be a little sharper for the final.

“I know she’s good enough to be there, she just needs to bring her A game. She’s versatile and she tries hard. She gives 110 percent all the time. I don’t see a lot of change in her (from last year). She was a very mature 2-year-old, that’s why she made what she made. She danced all the dances last year because of her maturity.”

Mambacita, owned by Alagna Racing, Crawford Farms Racing, and Pryde Stables, has won seven of 22 career races, hit the board eight more times, and earned $612,518. Last year, she won divisions of the Bluegrass and International Stallion stakes and was second in the Goldsmith Maid, Doherty Memorial, and New Jersey Sire Stakes final.

The daughter of Tactical Landing-Bill’s Lady will start Saturday from post six with Scott Zeron in the sulky. She is 20-1 on the morning line.

Stoebe, a former barrel racer in Montana now living in New Jersey, opened a small stable in 2021 and has quickly been blessed with a quality horse in Instagram Model. The filly has won six of 14 lifetime races and earned $338,286.

Instagram Model was a Hambo Day winner last year in the Jim Doherty Memorial. Lisa photo.

A berth in the Oaks final was the goal since the start of the season for Stoebe and owner Lynn Curry. She reached the final by finishing fourth, just ahead of Mambacita, in her elimination. She rallied from sixth at three-quarters with a :27 sprint home for driver Andy McCarthy, who returns to pilot the filly in the final.

“I wasn’t expecting that really slow third quarter (:28.4) and it kind of messed up the flow a little bit,” Stoebe said. “But Andy is so patient with her. The goal was to get in the final and she’s accomplished every goal so far.”

As for what it means to reach the final, the trainer said, “I’m speechless. Just to have a horse of this caliber, not many people get that opportunity. To be this early in my career and have that is amazing. I have such an amazing team behind me, everyone that’s helped me get here, because it’s not about me. It’s about your team. It takes a village.”

Prior to Saturday’s race, members of the village will be pulling all four shoes and putting a pull-down bridle on.

“Some significant changes,” Stoebe said. “It’s go time.”

Instagram Model, a daughter of Chapter Seven-Check Out Trixie, will start the Oaks final from post seven and is 8-1.

“She’s such a tough horse and she loves running horses down,” the trainer said. “The work ethic she has, I’ve never seen in another horse. She just loves to work. That’s one thing you can’t teach, you can’t train. They either have it, or they don’t. I’ve never met a horse with a work ethic like she has.”

The Hambletonian Oaks is race 10 on Saturday’s 16-race Hambletonian Day card. Racing begins at noon (EDT). Post time for the Oaks is 3:38 p.m. The $1 million Hambletonian, race 12, is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. and will air live on Fox Sports. For free TrackMaster programs for The Meadowlands, click here.