The Meadowlands Racetrack hosted 19 baby races for trotters and pacers on a bright, sunny Saturday morning.
The day began just like last week, with a pair of impressive trotting fillies from the Jimmy Takter barn. Lifetime Pursuit (Cantab Hall-Queen Of Grace) won the opener in 1:57.4 with a :28-second final quarter under no encouragement from Yannick Gingras, aboard for breeder/owner Brittany Farms. Shake It Cerry won right back for Takter with Ron Pierce driving. She came from well back into soft fractions and went by easily to win in 2:01.3 with her individual last quarter also timed in :28. Shake It Cerry is sired by Donato Hanover and out of the near-millionaire mare Solveig, making her a full-sister to Solvato ($300,837, 1:53.2) and half-sibling to 2012 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Dontyouforgetit ($401,161, 1:54.4).
Violet Eyes won the third for the Bob Key stable. The Tom Ridge-American Beauty K filly was comfortable trotting the mile in 2:00.4 with a 28.3 kicker for John Campbell. Paul Reid is her trainer.
Southwind Confetti, from the first crop of Muscle Hill out of Southwind Candie, won the fourth race for Tim Tetrick. She set most of the fractions and cruised home in :28 to finish the 2:00.4 mile. She comes from last year’s Hambo winning connections, owner Richard Gutnick and trainer Linda Toscano.
The fifth was won in 2:03.3 by Master Kemp, a Yankee Glide-Armbro Waikiki colt trained by Tony Alagna for Eagles Soar Partners, Minisink Farms, Joe Sbrocco and TLP Staples. Tim Tetrick guided the colt through a very game stretch drive for the neck win.
Musclesprinctonian won right back in race six for Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms. The well-bred Muscle Hill colt out of Hambletonian Oaks champion Broadway Schooner finished off the 2:00.1 mile with a 28.1 final stanza for Tetrick.
Next up was another Muscle Hill winner, this one called Great Society, out of Natashas Kiss. Mike Lachance steered the Alagna trainee to an easy 2:00.3 front end win (:27.3 final quarter) for Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, Al Libfeld, Joe Sbrocco and California Dreamin Stable.
Marzipan (Chocolatier-Muscleini) won the eighth for 'Captain' Corey Callahan. He sat just behind the lead of Jetta Liner and brushed past in a :28.4 closing quarter to win in 2:00.4. Trainer Jonas Czernyson owns the colt along with Jamie Marra and Pete Weisberg.
Father Patrick (Cantab Hall-Gala Dream) was ultra impressive in the ninth, winning from third with a quick move on the final turn in 1:59.1, trotting his last quarter in :27.2. Gingras drove the full-brother to Pastor Stephen ($1,058,188, 1:52.4) for trainer Takter and the Father Patrick Stable.
Chris Ryder drove his Muscle Hill-Vikings Goddess colt Muscle On In to a front stepping 2:01.2 win, holding sway over Sarcastic Man in a :28.1 last quarter. Ryders owns him in partnership with Robert Mondillo and Max Wernick.
Pacing fillies started with the 11th race. Sweet Charity (Art Major-Fool For You) won handily with a sharp closing quarter of :27 in the 1:55 mile for Andy McCarthy. Jerry and Theresa Silva and Ken Tucci own the filly and Aaron Lambert trains.
Ryder trained another winner in the Rocknroll Hanover-Yes Maam filly Cut A Deal, who rolled by the leaders with a :27.3 close to a 1:55 mile with Ron Pierce in the sulky. Diamond Creek Racing is the owner.
Race 13 was more filly pacers and the winner was another Rocknroll Hanover filly, out of the daughter of Shes A Great Lady ($973,382, 1:50.4), Beachy Lady. This one is Surfside Sexy from Mark Harder’s barn, who rode a pocket and closed in 27.2 on the 2:00 mile. Tetrick drove the winner for Perretti Farms. She is a half-sister to Cabana Fever ($486,189, 1:51).
Secluded Beach (Somebeachsomewhere-Moselle Hanover) stormed home in :27 on the end of a 1:59.1 mile for Tetrick. She is another from Alagna’s barn for owners Cheap Speed Stable, Joe Sbrocco and Eagles Soar Partners.
Ideal Magic was another Alagna winner and this American Ideal-Special Magic colt was geared down late by Tetrick, winning by open lengths in 2:00 with a :27.2 kicker. This one is the property of Cheap Speed, Eagles Soar, Sbrocco and Louis Willinger.
Sweet Rock won the 16th for John Campbell in 1:56.3 with a :27-second final quarter. Another sharp Rocknroll Hanover colt, out of Artaffection's ($829,207, 1:51.1) full-sister Penny For Nickel, this fella is trained by Larry Remmen for Ted Gewertz, Bridle Path Stables and Bradley Grant.
El Bloombito was a winner for the Toscano barn in race 17, finishing the 1:57.2 mile with a :26.4 final quarter. Fair Winds Farm is the owner and Jeff Gregory drove the American Ideal-On The Arm colt.
Perspective took them from start to finish in the 18th with Tetrick aboard for Alagna again. This one is from Art Official’s first crop out of Well Said's ($2,690,820, 1:47.3) full-sister See And Be Seen and he zoomed home :27.2 to close out the 1:56.2 mile. Eagles Soar, Equus Standardbreds, Sbrocco and Bella Racing share the ownership.
The 19th and final went to McCarthy and Lambert with In The Clear. The gelding held late in 1:56.4 with a :27-second close. He also belongs to Silva and Tucci and is a son of Western Ideal out of Orchid Island, a full-sister to Island Fantasy ($1,371,525, 1:50.1).
To view Meadowlands complete qualifying results, click on the following link: Saturday Results (Qualifiers) - Meadowlands Racetrack.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)