O'Brien and Dan Patch Award winner Captaintreacherous made his highly anticipated sophomore debut during Saturday morning's 17-race qualifying session at the Meadowlands Racetrack
Driven by Tim Tetrick, Captaintreacherous established the lead from the outside post seven and cruised through fractions of :28.1, :57 and 1:25.3 en route to a 1:52 victory (final quarter clocked in :26.2). Theresas Beach finished one and three-quarter lengths behind from the pocket with Sir Carys Z Tam third.
Trainer Tony Alagna said he was pleased with Captaintreacherous' "very good" effort today.
The Somebeachsomewhere-Wordly Treasure colt won eight of his 10 races as a freshman while banking $911,277 in purses for Captaintreacherous Racing. Among his wins were three sub-1:50 efforts, including his 1:49.2 triumph in $1 million Metro Pace. Captaintreacherous is the likely 2013 Trot Magazine Spring Book favourite for this year's Pepsi North America Cup.
Odds On Equuleus, another top rated Glamour Boy heading into the season, also won his 2013 qualifying debut. With John Campbell in the sulky, the Robin Schadt trainee carved out fractions of :28.2, :57.3 and 1:26.4 before holding on by a neck to win in 1:52.4 as fellow North America Cup eligible Dedis Dragon kicked home in :25.4. Sir Richard Z Tam finished two lengths behind in third.
The Art Major-Latte Lady colt, who sports a 5-1-2 record in nine starts with $413,665 banked in purses, won his Nassagaweya Stakes and International Stallion Stakes divisions for Odds On Racing. He also finished just a neck behind Captaintreacherous in the Metro.
Breeders Crown champion Rockin Amadeus turned in his third consecutive qualifying win of the season for trainer Jimmy Takter and Ontario's Lothlorien. Yannick Gingras guided the Rocknroll Hanover-Kikikatie colt through panels of :28.2, :57.1 and 1:25.1 en route to a 1:51.3 triumph. He held off pocket-pulling Johny Rock by a neck while Martini Hanover finished third and Alagna's Wake Up Peter fourth. All four are North America Cup eligibles.
O'Brien Award winning filly I Luv The Nitelife earned her second consecutive qualifying win for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Chris Ryder. The Rocknroll Hanover-Lisjune filly advanced first over from third before the three-quarters mark and kicked home in :26.2 to prevail by a head over pacesetter Give Me An Amen in 1:53.2. Cult Status was third.
I Luv The Nitelife put together a freshman record reading 4-4-1 in 10 starts while banking $682,574 for Joanne and Richard Young. In addition to setting a world record of 1:50.1 in an elimination of the Shes A Great Lady at Mohawk Racetrack, she also won the final along with divsions of the Eternal Camnation and Bluegrass Stakes.
Dan Patch Award winner Somwherovrarainbow, a daughter of Hall of Famers Somebeachsomewhere and Rainbow Blue, earned her third straight qualifying win during the morning session. The Breeders Crown and Matron Stakes champion, who previously qualified at Dover Downs and Harrah's Philadelphia, cruised through fractions of :28.1, :57 and 1:26 en route to a 1:52.4 score at the Big M. Offintothesunset finished three and a half lengths behind with Donna Lee third. Montrell Teague was in the sulky for his father, trainer George Teague Jr.
Millionaire pacer Sweet Lou won his second qualifier in preparation for his four-year-old campaign. Sweet Lou and driver Yannick Gingras followed Mel Mara through fractions of :28.3, :57.4 and 1:25.3 before unleashing wicked :25.4 final quarter speed to prevail by two lengths in 1:51.3. Drop The Ball finished nearly nine lengths behind in third. Ron Burke trains the son of Yankee Cruiser out of Sweet Future, who won last year's Tattersalls Pace.
Golden Receiver, this year's Presidential Series champion, posted the only sub-1:50 victory of the morning for trainer Mark Harder. With Tetrick aboard, the eight-year-old millionaire son of Village Jove used a :25.4 final frame to complete his 1:49.3 mile. Major Bombay finished second and Hurrikane Kingkole was third with a fierce final quarter clocked in :25.2.
Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship winner Dontyouforgetit romped to a 1:57.1 nine length victory depite being interfered with in his third qualifying effort of his sophomore campaign for Takter.
Trainer Jonah Czernyson sent out a quartet of winning female trotters, including International Stallion Stakes winner Mistery Woman (1:56.4), Thistle Dhu (1:56.3), Deja Vu Too (1:58.2), and Dorsay (1:55.1).
To view Saturday's full qualifying results, click on the following link: Saturday Results (Qualifiers) - Meadowlands Racetrack.