Many of the sport’s stars assembled at The Meadowlands for qualifiers on an overcast, windless Saturday morning over a track that may have been slightly dulled by overnight rains with the temperature at 10:00 a.m. approaching 20°C.
The card began with the Grand Circuit stakes winning Father Patrick filly Special Honor (Andy Miller) closing through the stretch to edge mile cutter Fate Smiled (Matt Kakaley) in 1:54.4 with a final quarter of :27.2. Cant Touch It (Scott Zeron) held safe for third and Goldsmith Maid winner Sonnet Grace (Yannick Gingras) fourth in a conservative effort.
Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld bred and own the winner, trained by Julie Miller.
Hall of Fame trainer Linda Toscano has a sharp looking prospect in the three-year-old Muscle Hill colt Guaranteed (Tim Tetrick) who won his second qualifier in as many tries this morning by closing furiously under no urging into a :27.2 end of a 1:54.4 mile to nip Halliama (Trond Smedshammer) and Summit In Sight (A. Miller).
The winner, unraced at two, was a $125,000 Lexington Select Yearling Sale purchase by Michael and William Pozefsky and Myron Eckstein from breeders Tommy B. Andersson and Courant AB.
Matter Of Fact (Marcus Melander) who led throughout and the closing French Café (A. Miller) went under the wire together in 1:55.4 in race three with the latter prevailing by a nose. Golden Tricks (Ake Svanstedt) was third.
French Café is another daughter of Father Patrick, a Katz & Libfeld homebred again stabled in the Julie Miller barn.
Miss Trixton scored for Melander from just off the pace in 1:55.3 over Trix Are For Kids (Corey Callahan). The winner is a Trixton filly from million-dollar winner Possess The Magic, a $105,000 Lexington purchase for the Order By Stable from breeder Hanover Shoe Farm.
Last year’s International Trot winner Cruzado Dela Noche (Mattias Melander) was sharp in his 2019 bow leading all the way and trotting a :26.3 final quarter to hold off Top Flight Angel (A. Miller) in 1:53.3. Yes Mickey completed the three horse field. All three of these top trotters are eligible to the May 4 Cutler Memorial, the first major stake of the 2019 Meadowlands season.
World record holder Ice Attraction (Andy McCarthy) is back for another season versus the top mare trotters and got her year underway with a front stepping 1:55.4 effort under her own power, closing in :27.4. Muscle M Up (Sarah Svanstedt) outmuscled E L Platinum and her husband Ake for the place with a nice stretch move. All three are trained in the Svanstedt barn and Ake owns the winner with Sipple, Burroughs and Little E.
Dan Patch Award-winning two-year-old pacing filly Warrawee Ubeaut (Gingras) got her sophomore season off to a great start. The fastest freshman in harness racing history, by virtue of her 1:48.3 Red Mile win last fall, scored from second over in 1:53.2 with her final quarter in the 26 second range. Stonebridge Soul (Dexter Dunn) went well to be second with Shes Allright (Kakaley) third.
Warrawee Ubeaut is from the first crop of Sweet Lou and was a $70,000 Lexington buy of Burke, Collura, Silva, Purnell & Libby and Weaver & Bruscemi from breeder Warrawee Farm.
Gingras and Burke came right back with the good American Ideal soph filly pacer St Somewhere for a 1:53.4 decision over stablemate Sylph Hanover (Kakaley) and Fool Me Again (Dave Miller) who closed with good pace for third. St Somehwere shares her ownership group with Warrawee Ubeaut who bought her from breeder Crawford Farms in Lexington for $55,000.
Kissin In The Sand was absolutely vicious in her return this morning, loping along through even fractions before dragging Scott Zeron home in :26.3 for a 1:51.2 mile. The Dan Patch three-year-old filly pace champ won by open lengths over her nemesis from last season Youaremycandygirl (Gingras) who was reserved early and not asked by the driver.
Kissin In The Sand is trained by Nancy Johansson for Marvin Katz and Bud Hatfield.
Captain Victorious (A. Miller) closed in :26 for a 1:52.1 win for the Millers, besting Caviart Rockland (Zeron) and Sugar Factory (D. Miller) in a race where all six looked good. The $40,000 Lexington purchase, bred by White Birch Farm, races for Andy Miller Stable, Goehlen and Huffman.
Love Me Some Lou (D. Miller) was a 1:52.2 winner for the Cancelliere brothers Tom (trainer) and John (owner). The Sweet Lou $95,000 Lexington buy sat just off the pace and roared by when asked. Blood Money (Zeron) and De Los Cielos Deo (Gingras) were next across the line. Spring Haven Farm bred the winner.
The twelfth and final qualifier was arguably the best race of the Meadowlands season to date, pari-mutuel or not, and Filibuster Hanover (Gingras) emerged from the packet to go by the front running Delta Winner (D. Miller) in a 26.2 end to a 1:51.1 mile. The winner races out of the Ron Burke barn.
For full results from the Saturday qualifying session, click the following link: Saturday Qualifying Results - Meadowlands.
(with files from The Meadowlands)