It’s an exciting time of year in racing as the better horses are showing up at The Meadowlands on Saturday mornings to get some work in either training before or racing in qualifiers. Today’s action came on what began as a lovely morning, the track was fast with temperatures in the mid 70’s and a light crosswind at the 10:00 a.m. post time but conditions deteriorated some along the way.
Top-rated sophomore colt Huntsville was making his second public appearance this morning and was a 1:51.3 winner with a /;27 final quarter into what became a significant headwind through the stretch. Tim Tetrick put the early favourite for the $750,000 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace and the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup on the lead near the :55:4 half and the big fella handled it from there with Filibuster Hanover (Yannick Gingras) making a good stretch rally to be second.
Resolve (Ake Svanstedt) returned a 1:54.2 winner, tracking Side Bet Hanover (Corey Callahan) throughout then brushing by that stubborn rival late into what has become a considerable stretch head wind.
It was a good prep in anticipation of Resolve’s defense of his title in the upcoming Cutler Memorial for the 2016 International and Maple Leaf Trot winner, trained by Svanstedt for Hans Enggren.
Heels On Wheels opened the day a 1:57 winner going gate to wire in a filly trot for Yannick Gingras. Ron Burke trains and owns the NYSS winner with Crawford Farms Racing and Weaver Bruscemi.
Last year’s division leader Ariana G (Gingras) made her 2017 debut and was a closing second to Goldsmith Maid winner Magic Presto (Brian Sears) in 1:56. It was the second qualifier of the season for the winner, trained in the Nifty Norman stable for Hartman, Liverman, Mc Duffee and Little E, LLC.
Several Hambo prospects raced in the fourth and Sortie (Andy McCarthy) got the best of the group with an early move to the lead into a :58.2 half then held sway over a closing Bills Man and pocket-riding Fly On (Andy Miller) in 1:55.4.
Noel Daley trains Sortie, who found his best form late last year and was a Breeders Crown elim winner and third in the final for Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, Mario Mazza and the Sortie Stable.
A pair of good NY-sired four-year-old mares looked sharp in the fifth with Fad Fiannce (Trond Smedshammer) getting the jump on Non Stick (Ake Svanstedt) to the wire in 1:55.2. She was a Lexington Grand Circuit winner last fall for owners Purple Haze, Goldberg and Rojan Stables.
Someomensomewhere (Tim Tetrick) moved forward off of last week’s effort and led all the way in a 1:54.4 mile, well within herself. She now races for Diamond Creek and the ABM Stable with Takter doing the training.
Thats The Ticket (David Miller) was really good again this morning cutting the mile and winning in 1:52.4 well clear of her rivals. Idyllic Beach (Gingras) settled mid-pack and made a mild close within a few lengths, second best. Chris Ryder trains Thats The Ticket for Henderson, Mondillo and Minowitz.
Lyons Snyder (D. Miller) was pretty much alone in his 1:50.1 romp with just three rivals scattered behind him complicated by a head-stretch breaker. Looks like he’s good to go for trainer Takter and owners Jeff Snyder and Geoffrey Lyons Mounds.
Pure Country was scary good today, dragging Brett Miller through the wind with a :26.2 end to a mile in 1:50.1 moving away from the solid open pacer Dealt A Winner. It will be very interesting to see if her connections, trainer Takter and Adam Bowden of Diamond Creek Farms, race her in next Saturday’s Graduate Series leg. She’s also paid into a number of open stakes at The Meadowlands this summer including the W.R. Haughton and newly-christened Sam McKee Memorials.
Ocean Colony went a nice mile for Takter and Gingras this morning closing his 1:52.3 front-end performance with a :26.1 final quarter. He races for Mrs. Takter, Fielding, Hatfield, Katz, Libfeld and Goldband.
The big news is the $61,958 carry over in the Late Pick 4 bet which will generate plenty of play and good value. Racing begins at 7:15 with the final of the $50,000 World Harness Handicapping Challenge center stage.
To voew the charted results of all the qualifiers, click the following link: Saturday Qualifiers - Meadowlands
(with filed from The Meadowlands)