Breakfast With The Babies at The Meadowlands finally caught a less than perfect morning on Saturday, July 6 after a late night into early morning deluge. The skies were clearing but the humidity high and temperatures started out around 80°F / 26°C and rising. There was no wind and the track was wet but still listed as fast.

Castel Lindy, a homebred Walner gelding owned by KR Breeding and trained by Domenico Cecere, took the opener. Dexter Dunn settled Castel Lindy in third early as Michanek (Mattias Melander) set solid fractions of :29, :59, 1:28.2 to the stretch when Dunn tipped his charge around the breaking Sinatra and tracked down Michanek late to get the 1:56.3 win.

Andy & Julie Miller turned out Kevlar CCL for owner and co-breeder Laura Young (with Emma Young) to take a 1:59 record in his very first try. Andy settled the son of Tactical Landing in fourth throughout the first three quarters as Double A Dallar (Tony Alagna) set even fractions, then fanned off cover and was a determined winner over The Drinker (Scott Zeron) and General Kronos (Andy McCarthy) getting his head in front near the end of the :27.4 final stanza.

The Gimpanzee colt out of Cover Girl, Blank (Dunn / Melander) impressed with a front-stepping 1:57.3 win, sprinting home in :27.4 on his own to easily hold off the close of Flightline (Andy Miller). He’s likely off to The Red Mile and Kentucky Sire Stakes action for SRF Stable and Holly Lane Stud East, who gave $150,000 in Lexington last fall from breeder Diamond Creek Farms.

The same connections came right back with another from the first crop of Gimpanzee when the filly Luna Lovegood paraded around the oval in 1:57.2, home in :27.3 under her own power over the game Sonmar Pond, who held his ground well for second for Scott Zeron. Holly Lane Stud East owns the winner, a partially homebred $100,000 Lexington yearling, bred by Blue Chip Farms and Stefan Melander.

Domenico Cecere sent out his second winner of the morning with Moni Multiplier (Zeron), who rallied well between horses late through a 28-second end to the 1:59.2 mile. An International Moni homebred for Lindy Farms, the winning filly came through in tandem with Belmont (Dunn), who was a good second.

Conversano was ultra-impressive this morning, leading all the way for Todd McCarthy to win in 1:55.2 and sprinting home in :27.4 to hold off Mimosatomartini S (Mattias Melander) and the crisp close of Global Heritage (Dunn). Conversano, trained by Juan Cano, is a Hot Lead Farms homebred daughter of the great Muscle Hill from stakes-winning Celebrity Ruth.  

Best Story Ever’s first chapter was a success for Andy & Julie Miller this morning, converting a nice two-hole ride into a 1:58.4 win. The filly trotted strongly through the stretch in :27.1 to go by the tiring leader and win in hand over Kadena (Dunn), who closed up the inside, and a wide-rallying Going To Vegas (Jon Ahle). Kentuckiana Farms and Eddie Gran bred the Chapter Seven filly, who sold to Wiesman Farms, LLC, Andy Miller Stable and Carmen Iannacone for $185,000 in Lexington last fall.

Steamboat Springs was a forwardly placed 1:56, home in :27.2, winner for trainer Joe Bongiorno. The gelding took over just past the quarter to rate an easy middle and kicked home despite drifting late to hold sway over Big Sur Beach (Yannick Gingras). The winner, a Sweet Lou gelding bred by Vieux Carre Farms, sold in Lexington to Jennifer Bongiorno Stable,  Barbera Urciuoli & Frank, Sbrocco & JAF and Scott Rau for $135,000.

Welcometotheshow went a good mile for Josert Fonseca when he held off the late rush of Go Go Grasshopper (Bongiorno) in 1:53.2, home in :27.1. The winner sat third through the early fractions, moved up a space when leader Squeaky Blue (Gingras) went wide erratically on the last turn, then surged past the stubborn Caviart Cash (Anibal Boras) on the inside with Go Go Grasshopper ranging up on the outside to win. Welcometotheshow, from the first crop of Tall Dark Stranger, bred by Steve Jones and Maumee River Stables and sold to trainer Nancy Takter, JAF Racing, 3 Brothers Stable, Sbrocco and Martha Frank for $75,000 at Lexington.

White Lotus (Gingras) was super impressive this morning in his second appearance, coming in off a sparkling 1:53.4 effort a fortnight ago with another win, this time in 1:53 flat. Gingras moved White Lotus to the top just past the quarter, reeled off a :57.1 middle half then tacked on a :26.3 kicker under a hold. Its Gonna Feelgood (A. McCarthy) closed from well back to get up for second. Morrison Racing Stables gave $110,000 at Lexington for the winner, bred by Lindy Farms.

Gingras and Takter struck again with the eponymously named JK Fancy Nancy, a winner out of the pocket in 1:54.2, closing in :27. Odds On Aces Full (A. McCarthy) set the pace until late stretch before succumbing to the winner. Reckless Abandon (T. McCarthy) rallied well very late for third. JK Fancy Nancy is a 3 Brothers homebred son of Captain Crunch from their 2014 Horse of the Year pacing mare, JK Shesalady, also trained by Takter.

The Tall Dark Stranger filly Exceptionalism (Tim Tetrick) impressed in her second outing. After a cover trip two weeks ago, Tetrick put her on the front today and she sprinted home in :26.4 on the end of a 1:54 mile to hold off Gigglingonthebeach (A. McCarthy) to the inside and a sharp rally from Papis Opinion (Dunn) for the win. Katz and Goldband bred the winner and sold her in Lexington for $70,000 to Alagna Racing LLC, CTI2.0 LLC, Frederick W. Hertrich III and Pryde Stables, Inc.

My Sweet Lily scored again for the Gingras / Takter combo, this time emerging from the pocket to go by mile cutter Perfidious Crown (Dunn) in the :26 end to the 1:53.2 mile, her second win in as many tries. Marvin & Lynn Katz share ownership with Caviart Farms who gave $130,000 at Harrisburg for the Sweet Lou filly from breeders Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Marc Reynolds.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)