The Meadowlands qualifiers on Saturday, May 10 got underway on a fast track at 60 degrees under skies clearing from an overnight fog with minimal wind.
Trotting fillies started the day and the fastest freshman trotter ever, Cooler Schooner, made her seasonal debut for John Campbell. She appeared composed as she set easy fractions then tacked a :27.2 quarter on the end of a mile in 1:56. Lady Suffolk division winner Fastdownthehill impressed, following the winner around the track then making a mild gain in to the fast final panel on her own for Jim Marshall III.
Race two...same group, same time with My Inspiration from the Smedshammer barn with Yannick Gingras aboard winning from just off the fractions in 1:56 (:28-second final frame) over Moonlight In Miami.
The Green Hornuts paired up to win the third event for trotting colts with Gingras steering his namesake to the first successful mile of his career in 1:55.4 and looked good doing it. The royally bred Muscerene, by Muscle Hill from Queen Serene, unraced at two, looked terrific for Trond Smedshammer closing to be second.
O'Brien Award winner Father Patrick made his second qualifying start in the next race and he looked great. He sat comfortably behind Well Built through moderate numbers before stepping off under his own power through a :27.4 final quarter, mile in 1:53 flat, for Gingras.
Race five and a pair of Muscle Hill colts, Royal Ice and Speak The Truth, flashed some talent in this one. Royal Ice was the winner for Smedshammer in 1:56.1 (:27.4 final quarter) with Speak The Truth closing in nicely late for Tim Tetrick.
After a short break in the action, play resumed with the unbeaten Perfect Alliance taking a 1:52.3 tour of the oval, getting in a little leg stretching in anticipation of the first Miss Versatility on May 19 at Woodbine Racetrack. Gingras was along for today’s ride.
Reigning Horse of the Year Bee A Magician raced next and won comfortably in 1:55.3 (with a :27.4 final quarter) for Brian Sears after drafting along behind the classy Celebrity Secret -- who is returning to the races after a six-year absence -- through dawdling fractions. She’s getting there.
Next up...pacers.
Gallie Bythe Beach appeared for the first time since her Breeders Crown elimination win last fall and she looked sharp cutting the mile in 1:52.4 with a :26.4 sprint tacked on while under John Campbell restraint. Three Diamonds winner Delightful Dragon kicked home well to be second.
Act Now, second in that same Three Diamonds stake last November, went well for Sears today, pacing a 1:53 (:26.4 final quarter) mile on her own in preparation for next week’s New Jersey Sires Stakes. Ideal Helen and Caviart Shelly followed her home.
Some really good three-year-old pacing colts that are eligible to the North American Cup came out this morning Winds Of Change (35-1 in Trot Magazine's Spring Book) won the 10th race with Tetrick aboard in 1:52.1 (home in :26.1) and looked good doing it in his first go of the spring. Western Vintage (sixth choice at 14-1 in the Spring Book) disappointed by breaking on the final bend in this one at a high rate of speed.
Tellitlikeitis (a 50-1 Spring Book colt) went some scary last quarter in the 11th race as he ripped from the pocket to zip by Somestarsomewhere (the Spring Book's third choice at 9-1) in 1:50.1 with a sizzling :25.3 for the last quarter right on the timer. Somestarsomewhere and Journeyman (35-1 in the Spring Book) both went well here...they just go so fast!
Some Kinda Beach closed out the qualifying session with a wire-to-wire win in 1:51.2, widening his margin to five lengths with a :27-second closing quarter with Bryce Brocklehurst tow.
Live racing resumes tonight at 7:15 p.m. with the Arthur Cutler Memorial eliminations and the first TVG Open Pace of the season on tap.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)