Trainer Ray Schnittker is well known for having his two-year-olds ready early. During this morning's mammoth session of baby races at the Meadowlands, the Schnittker Stable was once again front and centre
as no less than 18 sets of two-year-olds - eight on the trot and ten on the pace - filled the Big M race paddock.
On the trotting side, Schnittker pupils won the two fastest splits. Windsongs Legacy colt Winuendo was a four and one-half length winner off a sharp :57.3 back half, hitting the wire in 2:00. From the Perretti Farms-owned Muscles Yankee mare Repetitions, Winuendo was a $90,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase by New York-based Winuendo Stable and Arden Homestead Stable.
Not be outdone in either performance or a clever name, Schnittker guided Musclelaneous to a 2:00.1 debut qualifying win for the Musclelaneous Stable. The full brother to Grand Circuit winner No Pain No Gain (Muscles Yankee - Spendthrift) was a $130,000 yearling purchase and also bred and raised by Perretti Farms.
Chocolatier filly Electra Blue Chip gave Schnittker his third winning rookie of the morning, tripping the timer in 2:02 over Brittany Farms' homebred Global Desire - a full sister to 2006 U.S. Horse of the Year Glidemaster - and trainer-driver Jimmy Takter. Electra Blue Chip was a $60,000 Lexington Selected yearling purchase.
Epona Blue Chip, a $70,000 Harrisburg yearling, was the fourth winner for Schnittker. A half-sister to Munis Blue Chip and Hot Shot Blue Chip, Epona Blue Chip (Conway Hall - Hustle N Muscle) came home in a snappy :27.4 to qualify in 2:02.2.
On the pacing side, See You At Peelers and Its Rock N Roll equaled the fastest time of the day in 1:55.4 apiece.
The Jimmy Takter-trained See You At Peelers, a homebred daughter of Bettors Delight-West Side Glory owned by Christina Takter of East Windsor, New Jersey, sat third for most of the mile in rein to Marcus Johansson before unleashing a :26.2 final frame to score by three-quarters of a length over George Teague Jr. trainee Whirl The Girl (Brian Sears).
Teague’s Its Rock N Roll advanced to the lead ahead of Shark Gesture’s full brother, Shark Ingested, after a :31.1 opening quarter and opened up five lengths on the field by the :59.4 half. The son of Rocknroll Hanover-Art In Motion, a half brother to the near $600,000 winner Florida Boy, extended his lead to eight lengths by the third station in 1:27.4 and was home free with a :28-second final quarter. Part-owner and breeder Brian Sears was in the bike.
Sears and Teague also clicked with Your Space, who kicked home in :26.3 to catch pacesetter Fashion Majorette (David Miller) by a neck at the wire in 1:58.1. The filly from the first crop of Quik Pulse Mindale was an $11,000 purchase from Winbak Farm's Harrisburg sale consignment.
Grams Legacy, a full brother to the fast Grand Circuit winner Rockin Image, won his first qualifier for Johansson and Takter in 1:56.3. The son of Rocknroll Hanover-Kikikatie is owned and bred by Lothlorien of Cheltenham, ON.
For full results, click here.