The curtain came down on the 2024 edition of Breakfast With The Babies, so graciously sponsored each season by Jules Siegel under his Fashion Farms nom de course, on a sunny Friday morning, July 26 at The Meadowlands. With little wind and temperatures in the mid 70s, the card got underway at 10 o’clock.

The opener was a short field of three trotting fillies and as the gate pulled away no one left, so they lined up in post position order with Jimmy Takter driving first timer Fateful through even fractions of :59.3 and 1:29.2 into the stretch, where the race began.

Dexter Dunn slid Global Heritage from the pocket, she ranged up alongside Fateful and that rival went off stride, permitting Global Heritage the opportunity to get the 1:58 record while in hand. Miss Belmar (Andy McCarthy / Noel Daley) followed the winner in to be second.

Global Heritage is a Lindy Farms homebred by their sire International Moni, trained by Domenico Cecere.

Frank Leahy (Dexter Dunn) demonstrated his will to win this morning, leading all the way and trotting home powerfully to win in 1:57.4 / :28.1. Seven Layer (A. McCarthy / Daley) followed the winner throughout and was second in an impressive debut. Ron Burke trains the winner for Ben Mondello and FAC Racing, who paid $24,000 for the Southwind Frank colt at Harrisburg last Fall. Dr.  William Solomon is the breeder.

Race three saw a really nice pair of pacing fillies square off through the stretch with My Sweet Lily continuing to impress with her third good trip, this time emerging from the pocket to seize the lead early stretch then dig in to hold charging rival Asphalt (Tim Tetrick / Brett Pelling) at bay through the :28 end to a 1:54.4 mile. Dexter Dunn drove the winner, a Sweet Lou filly, for trainer Nancy Takter and owners Marvin Katz and Caviart Farms. Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Marc Reynolds bred My Sweet Lily, who sold at Harrisburg for $130,000.

Knockout Round flashed talent in an open length win for driver Anibal Borjas. The Sweet Lou colt had early position behind the leader past the :58.1, zipped past that one before the five-eights and began to move away from the field. In the end it was a geared down :27.3 end to the mile in 1:54.4 under no urging from the driver. Beach Club Monty (Todd McCarthy / Pelling) had good late energy to be second.

The winner, trained by Tony Alagna for Micki Rae Stables and Tim Twaddle, was a $95,000 (HBG) yearling. Farhi Standardbreds is the breeder.

Brett Pelling and Tim Tetrick paired up to win the fifth race with Sugar Man, a homebred so of Papi Rob Hanover owned by Seth Rosenfeld’s Birnam Wood Far. Tetrick sat chilly behind pacesetter Rucker Park who was encouraged along on the lead by Andy McCarthy through the 1:29.2 three quarters, then tipped around that rival and steamed home in :27.4 to close out the 1:57.2 win by as many as he pleased.

In a few qualifiers of note, Bond (Svanstedt) looked terrific in her return, having last been seen in qualifier two months ago, storming home alone in a :26.1 end to a 1:53.3 mile.

On the pacing side, a few top horses were getting some work in anticipation of next week’s Hambletonian Day stakes extravaganza.

Ruthless Hanover (Andy Miller) stalked Seven Colors throughout then went by that rival late, tacking a :25.4 last quarter on to a mile in 1:50.4. Oakwood Ardan IR was right with the top pair, finishing in hand.

In a bit of poetry, the current leader in the Breeders Crown Top 10 poll, Twin B Joe Fresh took a 1:51.2 spin around the oval for her regular companion Dexter Dunn.

Thus ends another season of eating donuts while enjoying the future stars of the sport embarking upon their careers.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)