The Meadowlands’ Breakfast with the Babies, sponsored by Jules Siegel’s Fashion Farms, caught perfect conditions again on the morning of Saturday, June 15: the sky was clear, temperatures were in the 70s, and the track was fast for two-year-old qualifiers beginning at 9 a.m.
The potent team of Nancy Takter and Yannick Gingras took the opener with the Downbytheseaside filly Sea Her Rule, a homebred owned by 3rd Floor Stables LLC. Held back early, Sea Her Rule caught a second-over trip in the short field, fanned wide and went by Caviart Rose (Todd McCarthy) on her own for a 1:57.3 win.
Bella Vita (Tim Tetrick) rolled up uncovered and wore down a stubborn Odds On Dr J (Scott Zeron) through a :28 end to the 1:56.3 mile. The Huntsville filly is another homebred and is owned by V. Louis Chianca, Karen Williams and Beverly Schiffman, and is trained by Bruce Saunders.
Tetrick came right back with the $250,000 Lexington purchase Fallout to win in 1:55.4, sprinting home in :27.2 and demonstrating nifty balance when he took a cautionary few steps out mid-stretch but never lost his momentum. Luminary (Andy McCarthy) rallied up late for the place. The winner is a Brittany Farms-bred son of Captaintreacherous trained by Tony Alagna for by Rob LeBlanc, Pryde Stables and Caviart Farms.
It was natural hat trick time for Tetrick as he sent Manolete right to the front, rolled through easy numbers, then out-sprinted his rivals with a :27 end to a 1:56.1 mile, also the second on the day for trainer Bruce Saunders. Papis Pistol (Dave Miller) rallied impressively late for second. The winner is a product of the first crop of Cattlewash, who has impressed thus far with several sharp looking individuals preparing for the upcoming New Jersey Sire Stakes. Manolete, bred by The OK Corral, was a $52,000 Harrisburg purchase for M&L of Delaware and M&M Harness Racing.
Smoken Bob (Zeron) was a 1:57.1 winner after a close-up trip, wearing down Knockout Round (Anibal Borjas) in the shadow of the wire. Linda Toscano trains for Kenny Jacobs, who paid $80,000 for the Hanover-bred Sweet Lou colt at Harrisburg.
The Alagna stable got another win when Andy McCarthy sent Caviart Delight though an opening inside stablemate Be My Princess A (Todd McCarthy) through a :27.3 end to a 1:57.1 mile. The Caviart Farms-bred Always B Miki filly went through Harrisburg for $45,000, and they took on trainer Alagna as a partner.
Alagna and McCarthy came right back with the Walner filly Tagalong, who led all the way under a firm grip and had plenty late, ending the 1:59.1 win with a :29 final stanza. Get It All (Dexter Dunn) followed the winner throughout and held sway for second, though no match. The Brittany Farms-bred brought a winning bid of $65,000 at Lexington from Rob LeBlanc, Grant & Pryde Stables, Coyote Wynd Farms and Odds On Racing.
Spicy Nice, a Tactical Landing from top race mare Maven, roared down the stretch for Gingras through a :28.3 final quarter to get the 1:58.2 win. Nancy Takter trains for Morrison Racing and John Fielding. Fielding also gets a breeder’s credit along with Irv Liverman and Joyce McClelland, who put her through the Lexington sales ring for a price of $135,000.
Wallies Dolly (Andy McCarthy) was Tony Alagna’s third winner of the day, another expensive ($210,000) Walner filly who put up all the numbers then sprinted home in :28.4 to hold off the closing Margareta Hanover (Dunn). Kenny Jacobs owns the winner, who was bred by Carter Duer.
Swoop made every call a winning one for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Lucas Wallin along with partners Joe Sbrocco, JAF Racing, Harbor Racing and Van Camp Trotting, ending the mile in :28.1 for the 1:59 tally over On The Radio. A daughter of Walner, Swoop was an $80,000 Lexington purchase from breeders Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew.
Deja Blu, the first foal of the great race mare Atlanta, made her debut in this split and rallied late to be third for owner-breeder Crawford Farms and partner Tom Pontone, trainer Nancy Takter and Yannick Gingras, trotting home in :28 while gaining ground on winner Swoop.
Green Manalishi S had his first U.S. winner as Galen Erso (Mattias Melander) inherited the lead when stablemate Sky Legacy broke and trotted through the wire for a 1:58.3 win over a closing Kentucky Colonel (Todd McCarthy). Galen Erso is a true homebred by Marcus Melander, who raced the sire and raised this successful colt out of the Conway Hall mare Wygant Princess.
The Melander barn came right back with the Muscle Hill colt Go Boom (Dunn), who sat up close throughout, avoided a few breakers, then closed stoutly into the :28.1 end to a 1:58.3 mile over Camera Man (Åke Svanstedt). Windsong Stable bred the winner, a $220,000 Harrisburg purchase by AMG Stable, Mantorp, Heights Stable and Fredrik Nielsen.
Mr Walner Fashion (Todd McCarthy) turned in the fastest trot of the day when he closed wide to track down Civilian Drone (Gingras) in 1:56.4. Jim Campbell trains the homebred son of Walner, the sire’s fourth winner on the card, for his longtime client, Jules Siegel’s Fashion Farms.
Racing resumes tonight (Saturday, June 15) at Meadowlands. Post time is 6:20 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)