The onslaught of two-year-old qualifiers continued on Tuesday (June 16), as Magical Acres in New Jersey played host to a 20-race session that saw ten dashes devoted to the aspiring youngsters.
'Baby races' comprised the first ten dashes on the docket, as trotters and pacers of both sexes and gaits took turns on the 'fast' five-eighths-mile course.
The fastest of Magical Acres' Tuesday baby races was won by the Linda Toscano-trained and Scott Zeron-driven Crunch Hanover, a Captaintreacherous--Code One Hanover colt that sold for $115,000 as a yearling last fall in Harrisburg.
Crunch Hanover left out from Post 3 in Race 9, cut all the fractions (:29, :59.4, 1:28.4), and recorded a one and a half-length win in 1:57.2 off of a :28.3 final quarter. Crunch Hanover is owned by Enviro Stables Ltd., South Mountain Stables, R And I Farms LLC, and The Bays Stable LLC.
The fastest of the session's pacing filly miles was recorded by the Noel Daley-trained and Andrew McCarthy-driven Farady Hanover, who is a full sister to 2017 Little Brown Jug winner Filibuster Hanover.
In Race 5, Farady Hanover, who was a $275,000 Harrisburg yearling sale purchase last fall, started from Post 2, cut all of the fractions (:30.1, 1:01.2, 1:32), and hung on for a nose win in 1:59.4 off of a :27.4 final quarter. Farady Hanover is owned by Bruce Edward of Australia.
The fastest of the session's trotting miles was recorded by a filly, as the Linda Toscano-trained and David Miller-driven Lady Chaos earned the distinction in 1:59.1
Lady Chaos, who was a $125,000 yearling sale purchase last fall in Lexington, was a wire-to-wire winner in Race 10 on Tuesday. The daughter of Cantab Hall--Strong Legacy did all of the work on the front end (:30.1, 1:00.4, 1:30.2) and kicked home in 28.4 seconds for the 1:59.1 victory. Lady Chaos is owned by Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, Joseph Lozito Jr., and Enviro Stables Ltd.
In terms of the session's fastest male trotting performance, that distinction was held by the Per Engblom-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven Ethan T Hanover, the Bar Hopping--Emmylou Who colt that sold for $130,000 at the Harrisburg auction last fall.
Ethan T Hanover, who is out of the same mare as the great Emoticon Hanover, started from Post 1 in Race 2 on Tuesday. The bay colt did all of the work on the engine (:30.3, 1:02.1, 1:32.3) before finishing things off with a :28.2 final quarter. The win time was 2:01 and the margin of victory was three and a half lengths. Ethan T Hanover is owned by Engblom Stable LLC, Douglas Sipple, and Mal And Janet Burroughs.
Returning Dan Patch Award winner Lyons Sentinel was also in action during the qualifying docket, and the three-year-old Canadian-owned miss proved to be a tactical and sharp winner for trainer Jim King Jr. and driver Tim Tetrick.
After having started from Post 2 in Race 13, Lyons Sentinel, who is a Captaintreacherous filly, took a pocket ride through the fractions (:27.2, :57.4, 1:25.3) and bravened up in the final quarter. The 2019 Shes A Great Lady winner tipped out, fired home with a 26-second final quarter and posted a neck win in a sharp 1:51.4. Lyons Sentinel, who won nine of her 14 races at two and banked $920,000, is owned by Threelyonsracing of Brantford, Ontario.