Big Names Tune Up In Qualifiers
Stakes champions American Jewel, Pet Rock and Golden Receiver were among Saturday morning's qualifying winners prior to another set of baby races at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Fan Hanover and James M. Lynch Memorial Pace champion American Jewel followed stablemate Romantic Moment through fractions of :28.3, :56.1, and 1:24 before unleashing a :26.4 final frame to win her qualifier by a neck over Krispy Apple in 1:51. The O'Brien Award winning filly, trained by Jimmy Takter for Brittany Farms, finished second by three-quarters of a length in her last start in the Mistletoe Shalee behind Major Look, an Adioo Volo winner Saturday afternoon at The Meadows.
Art Rooney champion Pet Rock romped to a seven and a quarter length triumph in 1:51.3 (:26.2 final frame) in his qualifier for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and owner Frank Bellino of Bronxville, New York. He finished second in the Meadowlands Pace on July 14 and the Confederation Cup is on his radar next.
Millionaire pacer Golden Receiver, winner of the Presidential Series, Spring Pacing Championship, and Graduate this year, tuned up with a wire-to-wire 1:51.3 mile, winning by more than six lengths over Won The West. The Mark Harder trainee finished second by a neck to We Will See in an Invitational Pace on July 14 at the Big M. He is owned by Stable 45, Richard Taylor, Stephen Springer, and Nina Simmonds.
Saturday's morning qualifying session also featured eight baby races. The trotting winners were: Mystical Cheetah (Classic Photo-Caseys Lil Lane) in 2:03.2; Mergatroid (Infinitif-Ornellaia) in 2:03.3; Broadway Prince (Broadway Hall-Queen Of Grace) in 1:59.4; Deadliest Catch (Chocolatier-Love You Most) in 1:58.4; and Creatine (Andover Hall-Berry Nice Muscles) in 2:02.3. On the pacing side the winners were: $450,000 yearling Bigrisk (Somebeachsomewhere-Artistic Vision) -- half-brother to Clear Vision and Rock N Roll Heaven -- in 1:54; Blatantly Best (Cambest-Garish) in 1:56.1; Campanile Hanover (Western Ideal-Campaign Leader) in 1:54.4.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following links: Baby Races - Qualifiers