East Rutherford, NJ — The stars of the 2022 stakes season have begun to emerge from their winter hibernation and appear at the Meadowlands qualifiers.

Saturday morning’s (April 15) qualifiers got underway on a perfect day with clear skies and a slight helping wind in the stretch; temperatures were in the mid-70s.

Trainer Jim Campbell relived the best day of his life by shipping his Hambletonian and Hambo Oaks winners from last year in for their first charted miles as 4-year-olds.

Cool Papa Bell was an easy 1:55 winner for his team of trainer Jim Campbell and driver Todd McCarthy by way of a :26.4 closing quarter. The 2022 Hambletonian winner was not a “one trick pony” at 3, as he also won the New York Sire Stakes final and was very competitive in the Breeders Crown and Kentucky Futurity while earning nearly $900,000 last year for owner Scott Farber’s Runthetable Stables.

Fashion Schooner (Tim Tetrick) cut the mile through slow early numbers then sprinted home in a :26.3 end to a 1:55.3 mile. Jules Siegel bred and owns Fashion Schooner under his Fashion Farms banner. Gigi Hanover actually cut into the winner’s margin with a good late rally for Åke Svanstedt.

The day got underway with an eye-catching performance by sophomore colt trotter Tactical Approach (Josert Fonseca), who won back in 1:54.3 (:26.3 final quarter) after a 1:53.4 qualifier a week ago. The Tactical Landing colt is trained by Nancy Takter for Robert LeBlanc, John Fielding, Joe Sbrocco and JAF Racing.

A tight group of 4-year-old pacing mares gathered for race seven, and Niki Hill was an impressive 1:52 (:25.4) winner out of the pocket in her second qualifier. Dexter Dunn sat her in behind Don’t Fence Me In through slow fractions, then ripped past that one under no encouragement from the driver in the fast final stanza. Boudoir Hanover (Todd McCarthy) flashed good late foot to rally up for second.

Six fast sophomore colt pacers teed it up, with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champ Fulton (Dunn) using a long uncovered move to edge Voukefalas (Jordan Stratton) and Tip Top Cat (David Miller) in 1:52.3 (:25.4) Linda Toscano trains the winner for Let It Ride Stables and Bottom Line Racing.

Toscano came right back with It’s My Show (Scott Zeron) zipping past his only three rivals in the stretch with relative ease to win in 1:50 (:26.3). It’s My Show, despite facing top company at 2, is still a maiden for owner/breeders Richard & Joanne Young.

The last race featured an accomplished field of 4-year-old pacers, and All About The Hunt (David Miller) went along on a loose lead throughout and held safe over the late rally of I Did It Myway (Andy McCarthy) in 1:50.2 (:27) The winner is trained in the Ron Burke stable for owners Crawford Farms Racing and Heather Marshall.

Results will be available on the Meadowlands website.

Tonight’s live racing at the Meadowlands starts at 6:20 p.m. Free programs are available.