Breakfast With The Babies took place on a perfect Saturday morning at The Meadowlands, and the ideal conditions prompted some swift miles. The sky was clear, breeze light, track fast and temperature around 70°F / 21°C when the trotting fillies stepped onto the track to contest the first race at 10:00 a.m.
Panem (Andy Mc Carthy) took the opener in 1:58.2 after taking control from eventual third-place finisher Winnerano (Trond Smedshammer) on the way to the 1:00.3 half then opening up a long lead before coasting in. Spoiled Princess (Brian Sears) closed to be second. The winner, a daughter of Father Patrick, is an Adam Bowden homebred via his Diamond Creek moniker and is trained by Nancy and Marcus Johansson.
Race two was inherited by Violet Stride (Tim Tetrick) who was sitting a nice pocket to Jula Champagne (Yannick Gingras) when that rival jumped off stride just into the home stretch. Violet Stride never lifted her nose then trotted straight and true to a 1:59 record over Woodside Datendiva (Marcus Miller) and a strong stretch trotting Centa Hanover (Ake Svanstedt). Violet Stride is owned by Emilio and Maria Rosati of Australia who paid $280,000 at the Lexington Selected yearling Sale for the Trixton lass, bred by Kentuckiana Farms and Jorgen Jahare, Jr. Mark Harder is the trainer.
Al Libfeld’s impressive Muscle Hill homebred filly Ms Savannah Belle (Gingras) rolled by the field from far back to get up in the shadow of the wire in 1:57. Bank Wise AS IT (Tetrick) set honest fractions throughout, faced a stretch challenge from Solsbury Hill (Scott Zeron) then succumbed to both rivals grudgingly. Per Engblom trains the winner.
Julia C (David Miller), a full-sister to 2018 Goodtimes winner Wolfgang, led all the way and took a 1:58.1 record in this morning’s fourth race. She faced no pressure and trotted home in :29 to seal the deal over the closing pair of Munster (Tetrick) and Creature Of Habit. Bred by Art & Leah Zubrod’s Fair Island Farm, who retain a share of the ownership with partners Brixton Medical Inc and Hatfield Stables, Julia C is trained by Engblom.
Hypnotic AM (Sears) and Hello Tomorrow (Gingras) threw down in a stretch battle in race five. After taking over early, Hello Tomorrow relinquished the lead to Hypnotic AM just before the :59.2 half with Hypnotic AM then sprinting to an open lead through a :27.4 third panel. Once straightened up, Gingras flipped Hello Tomorrow out for the drive and the fillies traded blows right to the wire with Hypnotic AM prevailing under careful Sears handling in 1:55.4.
Marcus Melander trains the winner, a Courant Inc. (Anders Strom) homebred.
Word Of Honor took a 1:57.2 record for Team Miller (trainer Julie and driver Andy) when she sat quietly behind Sequin (Zeron) as that rival sailed along on the lead, then slid up the inside for the win. Thankful For You (Corey Callahan) got up over Sequin for the place. Word Of Honor is a daughter of Father Patrick, bred and owned by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.
Trotting colt races commenced with the seventh where Fire N Fury (Tetrick) was a front stepping 2:01.1 winner over pocket rider Startrick (Josert Fonseca) and Ballcapsnbluejeans (Callahan). Marcus Melander trains the Explosive Matter colt, a $22,000 Lexington buy for Stall TZ. Celebrity Farms is the breeder.
The Melander barn came right back with Rome Pays Off (Mattias Melander) who led at every call and won easily in 1:59Beyond Kronos (Tetrick) made a good impression in his maiden voyage to be second for trainer Jim Campbell and El Ideal (Svanstedt) took third. This Muscle Hill colt was a $155,000 Harrisburg sale purchase by Lennart Agren as SRF Stable.
Brian Sears tamed Hayek this morning, holding the E L Titan colt snugly in the pocket behind even fractions set by Hennessey AM (Christian Lind), then easing past that rival through a :28.4 end to the 1:56.2 mile with something left. Big Oil (Andy Miller) raced well to get up for the place over Hennessey AM. Another Melander pupil, Hayek is owned by Courant, Inc who paid breeder Kostas Diakoloukas $70,000 for the colt in Lexington.
Melander made it four straight when Fly Eagle Fly (Sears) led all the way for a 1:59.1 win over Saxon (Tetrick) and Fear The Tiger (Marcus Miller). Fly Eagle Fly is a son of International star Bold Eagle bred in Italy and bought from the Lexington sale by Pontone, Gutnick, Lozito and Deo Volente Farms for $145,000.
Sermon scored for Gingras and Engblom in 1:58 under confident handling. Gingras moved the Muscle Hill colt to the top at the :59.2 half then held sway under no urging over Sheena Soldier (Zeron) and Kasha V (Dan Dube). Sermon is a Diamond Creek Farm / Mel Hartman bred sold in Lexington for $115,000 to Consus Racing Inc. and Longbridge Trotting.
Ake Svanstedt won with the sharp E L Titan colt Moon Bridge with a late rally to get up over King Slayer (Gingras) in 1:58. I Have A Dream (C. Lind) was third. The winner is a homebred for Overseas Farm and Janne Korpi.
The pacing fillies got underway after the break with a pair by Captaintreacherous hitting the wire together in 1:54.3. After Never Ever Forget (Dexter Dunn) sailed along on a clear lead past the 1:25.3 three quarters, Tim Tetrick got Rocknificent into gear and made a strong wide rally in the stretch to just miss. Tony Alagna trains the winner for AlagnaInTheGym, VJ Stable, Bill Donovan and Joe Sbrocco who gave $85,000 at Lexington. AM Bloodstock is the breeder.
Three six-figure yearling fillies by “The Captain” finished across the track the fourteenth with Caviart Jane (Zeron) holding Shebesailin (Gingras) and Baby Your the Best (D. Miller) at bay in 1:53.1 after setting all the fractions. The winner is a White Birch bred sold in Lexington to Caviart Farms for $100,000, trained in the Johansson barn.
Real Long Hanover (Dunn) took the same route to victory as her stablemate and continued the Captaintreacherous reign of terror as she led by many throughout then held on for the 1:54.3 win over JK Finendandy (Zeron). Alagna owns the filly with Marvin Katz and Riverview Racing who paid $50,000 at Harrisburg for the Hanover bred.
Lottery Winner (Zeron) set all the fractions before facing a stern challenge from Chief Mate (Andy McCarthy) and dug in tenaciously to hold that rival off in stretch scrap for the 1:53.2 win. This Bettors Delight colt, purchased for $185,000 at Lexington, comes from the Johansson barn where he is trained for owners Joyce McClelland, Hatfield Stable, R A W Equine and the Ric Flair Stable. Kentuckiana Farms is the breeder.
Territory (Gingras) took the seventeenth in 1:53.2, benefitting greatly when Its Showtime rolled off stride while on the lead as the field turned into the stretch. Territory took the baton then held on grimly for the win over Captain Groovy (Mark MacDonald). Per Engblom trains the Diamond Creek homebred Sweet Lou half-brother to the great Pure Country.
The last of the 18 baby races went to the Well Said colt Lake Charles (MacDonald) in 1:54.3 over Captain Barbosa (McCarthy). Lake Charles sat up close through even fractions before tipping out in the stretch to take the lead then dug in to hold rivals on both sides at bay. Ray Schnittker trains and owns the $35,000 Harrisburg yearling with Egloff, Hempt and Arnold. Vieux Carre is the breeder.
Results for the qualifying session can be found at the following links:
► Saturday Results - Meadowlands (Baby Races)
► Saturday Results - Meadowlands (Qualifiers)
(with files from the Meadowlands)