Breakfast With The Babies Act II, sponsored by Fashion Farms, took place on a perfect Saturday morning at The Meadowlands. The skies were clear, temperature moderate and flags limp when the races began at 9 a.m.
Trainer Tony Alagna sent out six winners while the colt trotters ruled the day with a few ultra-impressive performances.
The sharp looking Walner colt DApper was strong on the lead the whole way, tugging driver Tim Tetrick along through even fractions then holding off the stretch close of Kilgore S (Sears) through a :28.1 end to a 1:58.4 mile while under restraint. D’Apper is the first foal of the international champion and million-dollar winner D’One, bought by trainer Lucas Wallin for a mere $75,000 (LEX) last fall from breeders Steve Stewart and John Bootsman. He looks like a bargain.
Kilmister (Sears) demonstrated both the motor and the head necessary to be a good horse when he led comfortably throughout, finishing the 1:58.2 mile with a :27.1 end while well within himself. Ari Ferrari J (Dunn) had late trot enough to edge Brayden Victories (Zeron) for second. Kilmister was a $160,000 (LEX) purchase by Courant, Inc. from Moni Market Breeders and is trained in the Marcus Melander stable.
Jazz In Jackson (Todd McCarthy) took the inside route to edge out mile cutter Te Amo Lindy (Domenco Cecere) and hold off the close of Up Your Deo (Svanstedt), home in :28 with the mile in 2:01.2. Trained in the Tony Alagna barn, this Muscle Hill colt was a $50,000 (LEX) buy for Tony, Pryde Stable and Jim Crawford in partnership with his breeder, Coyote Wynd Farms.
The Alagna trained Novel (Dunn) took over past the quarter then held sway comfortably over Mr. Mullikens (Tetrick) in 2:00.2 / :28. The Brittany-bred son of Father Patrick was a $115,000 (LEX) yearling with Brittany retaining an interest in partnership with Novel Racing.
Today's opener was the pacing filly set and the usual moderate first five-eighths of the mile was set at a 2:00 clip by Caviart Leeloo (Todd McCarthy), who began to increase the speed mid-turn then hit the gas as they straightened up. Ucandoit Blue Chip (Scott Zeron) came from the pocket and Downbythebanks flipped three wide for Yannick Gingras as those three sprinted a :27 final quarter. Downbythebanks edged by her rivals despite a bit of a mid-stretch speed riff where she was steadied by Gingras then continued on for a 1:56.3/:26.2 win in her first outing for trainer Nancy Takter. The Downbytheseaside lass was bought at the Ohio Select Jug Sale last year, a $152,000, purchase by BFD Stable, JAF Racing, Joe Sbrocco, Rob LeBlanc and the trainer. Diamond Creek Farms is the breeder.
Lisa Lane (Patrick Ryder) posted a 1:57.4 win for first crop New Jersey sire Lazarus. Ryder sat a quiet pocket as Joy Of My Life (Andy McCarthy) set the 2:00 beat, slipped to the outside and outfooted the leader in late stretch for the win. Patrick owns the filly in partnership with his father, trainer Chris Ryder and N. M. Tamawa. She was a bargain $21,000 purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale (LEX) from breeders Tara Hills Stud and Glenn Bechtel.
Race 3 was reduced to a three filly Tony Alagna stable battle and the pace was considerably faster, with Bankers Luck (Zeron) edging by Caviart Davia (A. McCarthy) at the wire in 1:54.4/:27.2, despite racing a bit greenly when Zeron asked her to move. The Hes Watching Brittany Farms homebred collected herself and got by her stablemate for the “W.”
The cleverly named Walner Payton (Dexter Dunn) showed a glimpse of the kind of talent and grit that made her Chicago Bear Hall of Fame running back namesake great. The Walner filly loped along on an easy lead through a 1:35.3 three quarters before facing a stiff challenge by Natalus (Ake Svanstedt) and responding with a :27 final panel under no urging from Dunn for the 2:02.3 win. Chris Ryder trains the winner for Ken Jacobs who had to part with over a half million dollars to get her from breeders Steve Stewart and Douglass Hutchins at Lexington last fall.
Trotting fillies were back for race five and the Courant homebred daughter of Fourth Dimension, Kitty Hawk S (Brian Sears), was a 1:59.1/:27.4 winner. Sears left to the lead, released Heart On Fire (Dunn) and followed her the middle half then moved through when that rival bore out late for the score.
Unicorn Blue Chip was going a big one for trainer/driver Lucas Wallin and was well in front mid-stretch when she rolled off into a gallop, leaving Bond (Svanstedt) to collect the 1:57.3/:28.2 win. The winner is a daughter of Southwind Frank, bred by Diamond Creek and sold for $80,000 (LEX) to Svanstedt, Little E, LLC, and Lars Berg.
First crop sire Stay Hungry had a few winners today, starting with Hungry Angel Boy (Todd McCarthy) who willingly sprinted home in a wicked :26 flat out of the pocket for the 1:56 win over Its A Me Mario (Jason Bartlett). Tony Alagna trains the colt (and trained the sire) for his interests as Alagna Racing with partners Pryde Stables and Pit Bull Stable. The winner was a $30,000 buy at the Harrisburg sale (SHS) and bred by Doug Millard and Spring Haven Farm.
Dupree Hanover (Andy McCarthy) led all the way and held off stablemate Caviart Stoney (Marvin Luna) despite leaning in late for a 1:55.3 /:27 win. Another Alagna trainee, Tony owns the $50,000 (SHS) Stay Hungry, Hanover-bred colt with Brad Grant and Jablonsky Held Stable.
Tickertape Hanover (Zeron) was an impressive 1:54 winner at first asking for trainer Linda Toscano. Stormalong (Dunn) set fractions of :29.2, :58.3 and 1:27.2 and was game to the wire but Tickertape Hanover had more out of the pocket. A son of Huntsville, the Hanover-bred winner sold for $160,000 (SHS) last fall to 3 Brothers Stable and Caviart Farms.
The $200,000 (LEX) Captaintreacherous colt Captain Batboy (A. McCarthy) got his career off to a winning beginning with a pillar to post 1:54.4 /:26.4 win over a closing Kopi Luwak (David Miller). Bred by Deo Volente Farms and Riverview Breeding, Captain Batboy races out of the Alagna barn for Brittany Farms and Captain Batboy Racing.
The results for this morning’s races are available on The Meadowlands website.
Live racing at The Meadowlands resumes at 6:20 p.m. this evening with thirteen equine races supported by a wiener dog undercard. Free card programs are also available on the Meadowlands website.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)