Qualifiers were conducted Saturday evening at the Meadowlands Racetrack on a soggy, foggy evening that was cool but windless, and Jimmy Takter trainees performed beautifully.
You Know You Do went his second prep for Yannick Gingras, stalked the leader through slow fractions then swept past with a :27.1 end to a mile in 1:55.3 to win by more than six lengths. The filly Dab Hanover was second in her seasonal debut with trainer Takter at the lines. Taylor, Hatfield, Katz, Libfeld and Order By Stable own the winner.
Takter and Gingras combined to win with three-year-old colt Wolfgang who led all the way to win in 1:54 with a final quarter clocked in :27.2. He's a big strapping colt who made over $300,000 last season for Brixton Medical, Falk, Hatfield and breeder Fair Island Farm. Filly Phaetosive (Jim Marohn, Jr.) was great closing strong up the inside in :27 to be second.2015 Hambletonian winner Pinkman (Josert Fonesca) was third in his first go.
On the pacing side, Youaremycandygirl (Gingras) won in her third attempt, cutting the mile in 1:52.1 with a closing quarter in :27 and winning by ten. Ron Burke trains her for Bill Donovan.
Gingras was looking for the sweep with everyone's favourite war horse Foiled Again, but alas he followed the good sophomore colt Karpathian Kid around the track to be second, beaten three lengths in 1:52.
(Meadowlands)