East Rutherford, NJ — Maryland and Ascendance were two of the more impressive-looking — and high-priced — winners as the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds of each sex and gait kicked off Friday night (June 28) with six $20,000 divisions of the opening leg at The Meadowlands as every horse in the event made their respective pari-mutuel debuts.

Maryland (inside) won the second of two Kindergarten Series splits for male trotters. Lisa photo.

The Marcus Melander-trained Maryland (a colt by Chapter Seven-Crucial) took the second of two colt and gelding trots in 1:56.4 with Dexter Dunn at the controls. The $475,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase made the lead at the quarter while parked in :30 and never relinquished the point through fractions of 1:00.2 and 1:30.2 on the way to a head win over a late-closing Mr Walner Fashion.

“He’s done everything right from the start and has been great training down,” said Melander. “Tonight, he dug in like a good horse the last eighth when (trainer Jim) Campbell’s horse (Mr Walner Fashion) came up on the outside. I couldn’t be happier with him in his first start.”

As the 3-5 favorite, Maryland paid $3.40 to win.

Hall of Fame trainer Linda Toscano looks like she has a good one in Ascendance, who overcame post seven to win with Scott Zeron driving in 1:53 as the even-money public choice, paying $4.20 to win in the lone filly pace.

“She had pedigree (a daughter of Captaintreacherous-Higher And Higher) and size. (My owners) stepped up for me,” said Toscano of the $260,000 Lexington purchase. “She showed last week she’s as good off a helmet (when fourth in her second qualifying race, closing in :26.1) as on the lead. “I don’t know if she was running in in the stretch, but I do think she’s really green. It’s just so new to all of them.”

Ascendance grabbed the lead at the half in :57.4 and remained on top at three-quarters in 1:26.3 before an easy jaunt through the stretch led to a 1-1/2 length win over Shes A Streaker.

Four More: The other Kindergarten winners included Margareta Hanover (Maharajah-Hot Mess Hanover) in 1:56.1 in the lone filly trot before the betting card began, giving the team of Dunn and Melander their first of two winners on the night.

The first colt and gelding trot went to 4-5 favorite ($3.80) Hidalgo, a son of Muscle Hill-Brooklyn, for Yannick Gingras and Ron Burke in 1:56.2 while the two colt and gelding paces were taken by Papis Pistol (Papi Rob Hanover-Bang Bang), the 7-2 second choice who returned $9.20, for Brett Beckwith and Sam De Pinto in 1:53.3; and 3-2 second choice ($5.00) Namaste Hanover (Papi Rob Hanover-Naughty Marietta) for Jordan Stratton and Christopher Choate in 1:54.3.

The Long And Short Of It: The Early 20-cent Pick-5, which saw four winning favorites score at even-money or less, returned a mere $36.14, while the Late P5, which included 9-1, 15-1 and 14-1 shots, returned a whopping $5,488.16.

A Little More: Brett Beckwith, 21, currently the second-leading dash-winning driver in North America, the red-hot Yogi Sheridan, Dunn and David Miller tied atop the driver-colony leaderboard with two winners each on the card.

All-source handle on the 14-race program totaled $2,532,714.

Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.