The 2025 Meadowlands Pace weekend edition of Breakfast With The Babies, sponsored by Fashion Farms, got underway at 9 a.m. on a muggy, overcast summer morning on Friday, July 11 at the Meadowlands. The temperature was around 26°C and the track fast with negligible wind to begin John Rallis and Greg Blanchard called the action.

Trainer Nancy Takter and driver Yannick Gingras had a big day combining to win three impressively, while Yannick picked up a fourth tally for trainer Ron Burke.

Skillful Tactics won right back for Gingras & Takter, setting all the fractions at a fair clip then drawing away from his rivals through a :28.4 end to the 1:55.2 mile. Diversion (Scott Zeron) followed along to hold second while Chapel (Mattias Melander) was third with late trot. 

Skillful Tactics is a Tactical Landing colt and was a $48,611 Harrisburg yearling purchase for Leblanc & Kribbs, Pryde Stables, Inc, William Beattie and In The Gym Partners. Christ Beiler bred the winner.

Pacing fillies were led by Amira Hanover (Joe Bongiorno) who left to the top, released a rival through middle fractions then tipped back out for the drive and prevailed in 1:56.1, home in a snappy :27.3 to hold off the sharp late rally of Tan Lines Hanover (Josert Fonseca).  Queen Tina (Jason Bartlett) completed the top trio.

A daughter of Papi Rob Hanover, Amira Hanover was a $175,676 Lexington purchase for Let It Ride Stables, Patrick O’Brien, Joe Sbrocco and In The Gym Partners from Hanover Shoe Farms.

Kibbie J (Todd McCarthy) was an impressive winner this morning for trainer Noel Daley, reserved off the early fractions then storming home with a :27.2 end to complete the 1:59.1 mile on his own. Cambridge Hanover (Dexter Dunn) rallied well late to get second ahead of Big Boys Dont Cry (Zeron). Ken Jacobs gave $466,216 at Lexington for the Walner half to Six Pack, bred by Steve Stewart and Doug Hutchins.

Leading Lady roared by the field through the stretch to be the second of the day for the potent combo of Takter and Gingras. The Walner filly smoked home in :27.3 to overtake pacesetter Heart For Two (Todd McCarthy) and trip the timer in 1:56. Nova Lima Mearas S (Zeron) was next across teh wire. A $148,649 Lexington yearling bred by Marvin And Lynn Katz along with Al Libfeld, Leading Lady is owned by Marvin Katz, Black Horse Racing and Herb Liverman.

Yannick and Nancy struck again in race five, this time with the royally-bred Madam Cheval — a Walner daughter of world champion and double millionaire Shake It Cerry — who took over past the half then continued along through a :27.4 end to a mile in 1:58 under her own power. Emmas Mystery CCL (Andy McCarthy) and Rani Hanover (Bartlett) completed the top trio. M Biasuzzi Stable Inc. paid $445,946 at Lexington to secure the winning filly from breeder Solveig’s Racing Partners.

Yannick scored another with Ubrute — the blue-blooded Tall Dark Stranger colt from world champion freshman pacing filly Warrawee Ubeaut — who ground up uncovered to wear down Whiskey Venom (Andy McCarthy) then kicked home in :27.1 to finish off the 1:56 mile over the closing Sneaky Squeaky (Joe Bongiorno). Bred by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Crawford Farms Racing, J&T Silva Purnel & Libby and Phil Collura, Ubrute was a $202,703 Lexington buy for Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Hatfield Stables and Collura.

The day came to an end for the baby races when Andy McCarthy guided Captain Wonderful to a powerful 1:55.1 win, seven lengths better than closest pursuer Caviart Anders (Gingras) with a :27.1 final quarter. Tony Alagna trains the winner, a $270,270 Lexington buy for Robert Leblanc, Pryde Stables Inc., Brad Grant, and breeder Big Als Stable.

On Friday night, The Big M hosts the first of three legs of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for two-year-olds. Saturday night is the "Biggest Party in Harness Racing," Meadowlands Pace night. Some of the best horses in the game will compete for more than $2 million USD in purses in several of the marquee events of the season, led by the track’s signature event, the $656,000 USD Meadowlands Pace. The Meadowlands Pace, along with a big handful of other major stakes, will be shown live on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) as part of NYRA’s “America’s Day at the Races” telecast, which begins at 8 p.m. 

(with files from The Meadowlands)