Two-Year-Olds Step Out Saturday Morning
Two-year-olds were out in full force on Saturday morning turning in some of their first charted miles ever at Mohawk Racetrack and Meadowlands Racetrack.
Mohawk hosted 14 baby races this morning over a sloppy surface rated two seconds slow.
Despite the poor track conditions, pacing filly Triple Cash reeled off fractions of :29.4, :59.1, 1:28.4 en route to a 1:58 six and three-quarter length victory to record the fastest mile of the day for trainer-driver Rick Zeron. The daughter of Badlands Hanover out of the Island Fantasy mare Triple Fantasy was a $36,000 yearling purchase at Harrisburg for the Rick Zeron Stables, Hubertus Mevissen and the Hutt Racing Stable.
Zeron also earned qualifying wins with pacing filly Canary Island (Somebeachsomewhere-Duck Duck Goose) in 1:59.3 and pacing colt Romara (Lis Mara-Romantic Too) in 2:00.2.
Samartina, a daughter of Muscles Yankee out of the Conway Hall mare Valbruna, topped the trotters with a 2:05 mile for driver Paul MacDonell and trainer John Bax. She followed Cha Cha Magic (Kadabra-K T Cha Cha) from the two-hole through fractions of :32.2, 1:04.2 and 1:35.2, before kicking home in :29.1 to score by a neck. The $19,000 Harrisburg yearling is owned by Glengate Farms, Parkhill Stud Farm, Lewis Palmer, and Brilo Farms.
Bax also won with filly trotter Her Name Is Lola (Majestic Son-Armbro Stunning) in 2:06.2.
Meadowlands also hosted 14 baby races this morning over a fast track with Shebestingin turning in her second straight qualifying win in 1:54.3 by one and half lengths. Following up a 1:58.3 mile in her first charted mile on June 2, the Bettors Delight-Armbro Tussle miss carved out fractions of :28.2, 58.4 and 1:27.3 before using a :27-second final frame to seal the deal. Dave Miller drove the Joe Holloway trainee, a $55,000 Harriburg purchase, for owners Val Dor Farms, Theodore Gewertz, and L And L Devisser LLC. The half-sister to Hop Sing ($984,396, 1:48.3) and Bono Bests ($547,760, 1:49.3) was followed by Jerseylicious (Western Ideal-Jet Lag N) and Somwherovrarainbow (Somebeachsomewhere-Rainbow Blue), who both closed in :26.2 to round out the top three.
Holloway also won with pacing colts Kenzies Beach Boy (Jennas Beach Boy-Absolutely Genuine) in 1:57 and Dont Ya Know (Western Ideal-Caviart Vegas) in 1:56.
Dontyouforgetit posted the fastest trotting mile of the day at the Big M in 1:58 flat while making his debut for owner-breeder Solveigs Breeders. The son of Cantab Hall out of the multiple stakes winning Yankee Glide mare Solveig settled in the pocket during a :29.2 opening quarter and was shuffled back to third by the :59.1 half. Trainer-driver Jimmy Takter angled him off the pylons at the 1:29.3 third quarter station and the colt sprinted home in :28-seconds for the one length victory.
The Takter-trained trotting filly Peaceful Ez Feelin (Muscles Yankee-Peaceful Way) also won her qualifier in 2:01.2 along with trotting colt High Bridge (Cantab Hall-Madame Volo) in 2:00.2.
Schnittker also had three winners with trotting filly Royal Assets (Donato Hanover-Habits Lady) in 2:00.1, trotting colt Dewycolorintheline (Deweycheatumnhowe-Magenta Hall) in 2:00.2, and pacing colt Thirty Two Red (Bettors Delight-Sakura Hanover) in 1:56.
To view Saturday morning's complete qualifying results, click on the following links: