After very early morning rains, Saturday’s Breakfast With The Babies at The Meadowlands began just as the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly on the card of 20 baby races plus three qualifiers. The flags wafted in a slight wind with the track wet fast to start to begin, though it was a bit muggy with temps in the mid-70’s.

The day’s opener was also the debut of Mooshka Stride, first foal of the grand champion trotting mare Check Me Out, and she did not disappoint. Sent right to the top by Tim Tetrick from the start, the Credit Winner filly set all the fractions and finished the impressive 1:59.2 mile with a :28.2 final quarter on her own. Emilio and Maria Rosati paid $260,000 for the filly at Lexington last fall and Mark Harder is the trainer. Smoke And Mirrors (David Miller) was second and Cousin Bea (Marcus Miller) third.

Hey Blondie won race two despite making a slight miscue through the first turn. Driver Dave Miller settled the Cantab Hall filly then came first over, gradually wearing down the leader and holding sway in 2:02.2. Chuck Sylvester trains the $125,000 Lexington buy for Steve Jones, Mary Kinsey, Paul Bordogna and Dave McDuffee. Fuel Her Flame (Jimmy Takter) was gaining late to get second and Chapters Lady (Tetrick) third.

The grey Cantab Hall filly Tiffanys Flash was another front-end winner for Tetrick in 1:57.3 getting home in :28.1 to hold off the rally of Top Expectations (M. Miller). Tiffanys Flash is from the Linda Toscano barn, she owns the $72,000 Harrisburg purchase via her Camelot Farms with partners R & I Farms and Highland Farms.

Trond Smedshammer won the fourth with the Purple Haze stable’s $55,000 Harrisburg buy Velvatter. She put up all the numbers and finished the 1:59.3 mile with a :27.4 final quarter to hold off Holy Bones (Tetrick) with Special Hill (Yannick Gingras) closing it up late to be third.

Trainer Mark Harder sent out another beautiful filly for the Rosatis in Lily Stride (Tetrick) who won easily in 1:58.2 trotting strongly through the 29-flat final quarter. She’s a daughter of Muscle Hill who commanded $220,000 at the Kentucky sale last fall. Lucky Rainbow (D. Miller) was a good second and Girl Talk (Troy Beyer) flashed late trot to be third.

The stretch head-winds began to pick up as Supergirl Riley (Marcus Miller) took the sixth in 1:56.4. She cut the mile, took high heat from Air Quote Hanover (Gingras) through a :28.3 third panel then widened as she pleased through the :28.1 final quarter. Repentance (Tetrick) had good late trot to be second with Air Quote Hanover staying on for third. The winner is trained by Erv Miller for Paymaq Racing, GT Golemes and Harvey Eisman who gave $32,000 for the Muscle Mass lass at Lexington Select.

Right around a million dollars’ worth of horseflesh lined up for race seven and the most expensive colt won. Story Time Hanover brought $410,000 from owner Melby Gard at Harrisburg and this morning trainer Jimmy Takter drove the Muscle Hill colt to a come-from-behind 1:59.1 win. Tokarov ($210,000 / Marcus Melander) went well today to be second and Go To Hill ($350,000 / Gingras) closed for third.

Maxus took the eighth for Takter. Another good looking Muscle Hill colt, this one from noted producer Gerris Joy sat just off the lead, took over as they straightened up and trotted away through the :29.2 end to the 2:00.4 mile as he pleased. Godspell Hall (Scott Zeron) was a willing second.

My Man Stony (Corey Callahan) was an impressive 1:57.2 winner this morning. Callahan settled him mid-pack through the :59 half and 1:28 three quarters then sent the colt after Storming Mist (Gingras) who has opened a stretch lead of several lengths, tracking that rival down easily. Captain Morgan (Christian Lind) was third. William Wiswall and Pinske Stable paid $120,000 for My Man Stony, a son of Yankee Glide, at the Lexington Select Sale.

The tenth race winner was Unforgettable (Zeron), a Cantab Hall colt from Brittany Farms. He went a very professional trip, leaving to the top from outside, releasing Hill Street (Takter) through the middle fractions then brushing by that rival in the stretch for the 1:58.3 win in his very first try. Lindseys Pride (Marcus Miller) was second. Unforgettable brought $22,000 last fall in Lexington.

Don won today in 1:58 for Andy Miller. The Credit Winner colt rolled up on leader Zephyr Kronos (Takter) as they passed the third quarter station in 1:28.3, took command when that rival went off stride then held off a stretch rally from Farsetti Hanover (M. Miller) for the score. Andy owns Don, a $50,000 Lexington yearling, with Jeff Gural’s Little E LLC and wife Julie is the trainer. Fourth Dimension (M. Melander) was third.

Yannick Gingras drove Samo Different Day to a 1:59.1 win for Jimmy Takter in Race 12. Canaletto Hanover (DR Ackerman) set the fractions until the head of the stretch when pocket sitter Levitation (Zeron) went to the inside off stride and Samo Different Day trotted up on the outside to win. Christina Takter and Samo Partners share ownership of the Cantab Hall colt, a $130,000 Lexington buy.

The Somebeachsomewhere filly Eden (Gingras) opened the pacing races with a 1:57.2 win. She cut the mile and had enough left to hold the stretch bid of No Mo Fo Joes (Tetrick) at bay with a :28.3 final stanza. Eden was an $87,000 Harrisburg purchase by Diamond Creek Racing and is trained by Nancy Johansson.

Sand Artist (Tetrick) was a 1:56.4 winner for the Toscano barn converting a pocket trip and fighting off a determined bid by Michelles Jazz (George Dennis) through a :27.4 final quarter. She is owned by the partnership of South Mountain Stable, Little E and Highland Green Farms who invested $85,000 in her at the Lexington Yearling sale.

Hurrikane Shorty (Jimmy Marohn, Jr.) an $8,000 Goshen yearling held off the explosive late bid of the $550,000 Lexington filly Come See The Show (Tetrick) in this morning’s version of Davidia vs. Goliathess. Marohn sent his filly to the top through easy fractions them kicked in with a :27.3 last quarter to last over Come See The Show, who was reserved until late stretch but had plenty when asked. Hurrikane Shorty is trained by Kevin Mc Dermott for the partnership of Jeff Gural’s Little E, LLC, Meadowlands GM Jason Settlemoir, Dave Stolz and Art Geiger.

Perry Soderberg’s California Cruisin (Gingras) just got up in the last few steps to catch Suddenly Sam (M. Miller) in 1:55. Yannick gave him a nice trip and the colt kicked in when called upon for the win. The big Somebeachsomewhere colt from the million-dollar winning dam of Jeremes Jet, Ohyouprettything, was a $65,000 Harrisburg yearling.

Southwind Grizzly (Brett Miller) cut the mile and finished strong into the wind with 1:55.1 score for the Tony Alagna barn. Huntsville’s little brother Wild Bill (Ray Schnittker) rallied well into the wind to get up for second. The winner is a Sportswriter colt that cost John Fodera, Steve Wienick, Robert LeBlanc and trainer Tony $85,000 at the Harrisburg sale.

The Bob Key homebred Rock Lights went a nice mile for Jason Bartlett today, cutting the fractions then sprinting home in :27.3 under pressure from Somebaddude (M. Miller) the mile in 1:55.4. Andrew Harris trains the Rock N Roll Heaven colt.

Speed To Market (Corey Callahan) posted a 1:56 win in his first try over the big track for trainer John Butenschoen. He’s from the first crop of Betterthancheddar and cost Wiswell, Goehlen and Schick $85,000 at the Lexington sale. Bodega Bay (Zeron) cut the mile and skipped off stride as they turned into the stretch but recovered nicely to get second. Spear Point (Brett Miller) was third.

The Erv Miller barn wrapped up another good day with Karpathian Kid, winning out of the pocket for Marcus in 1:55.1. It marked the second good effort for the homebred Somebeachsomewhere colt from the good race mare Vysoke Tatry for the Prushnoks, David Miller and Lawrence Means. Heavenly Sound (Andy McCarthy) was second in the last of today's baby races.

Walner wins back

Top rated three-year-old trotting colt Walner made another appearance today and toured the oval in 1:53, trotting home in :28.2 into a significant headwind. Kenny Jacobs owns, Linda Toscano trains and Tim Tetrick drives the colt who is on course for the August 5 Hambletonian.

For results from the Saturday qualifiers, click the following link: Saturday Qualifiers - Meadowlands Racetrack.

(with files from The Meadowlands)