Baby races were the order of the day this morning at the Meadowlands Racetrack, as 13 dashes for juveniles of both sexes and gaits jammed the early docket
at the famed New Jersey racetrack.
A total of four dashes for the pacing colts and geldings were featured during the latter part of the card (Races 9, 10, 11, 12). The Jimmy Takter-trained and Marcus Johansson-driven Joe De Fino (Western Ideal--Lifetime Success) recorded the fastest win time of any of those colts and geldings.
Joe De Fino, a bay colt that was a $60,000 yearling purchase from the 2009 Lexington Sale, left from the rail in Race 10 and closed from fifth at the three-quarters pole to notch a head victory in 1:56.3 off a 27-second final quarter.
The trotting colts and geldings had gotten their miles in earlier on the card, as four dashes went forward as Races 1, 3, 6 and 7. The fastest of those miles went to the Joe Holloway-trained and John Campbell-driven Tigers Too Good (Conway Hall--Too Good For You).
Tigers Too Good, a bay colt, left from Post 6 in Race 3 and sat third through the opening half. The $50,000 Lexington yearling purchase was on the move on the final turn and would trot away in the stretch. The win time was 2:00.3 off a :28.2 final quarter. The margin of victory was five and three-quarter lengths.
The pacing fillies went out and did their thing in a pair of later dashes (Races 8 and 13). It was Whatrugonnado (Allamerican Native--Are You Sure), driven by George Brennan for trainer Roland Mallar in Race 8, who was the fastest of the class.
The bay Whatrugonnado, a homebred of Anatolia Racing Stb. Inc., started from Post 7 and went gate to wire in victory. The filly cut the fractions in :28.3, :58.3 and 1:28.4 before coming home in :27.1 for a nose victory in 1:56.
The trotting fillies strutted their stuff in Races 2, 4 and 5, and it was Love N Hate (Muscles Yankee--R Heavenly Hush), driven by her trainer/driver Jimmy Takter, who hit the wire in the quickest fashion.
After having left from Post 6 in Race 5, the bay Love N Hate, just a $6,000 yearling buy, was first at every call. She cut the fractions in :29.4, 1:01.2 and 1:32.2 and came home in 29.1 for the neck win in 2:01.3.
To view the charted lines from the Meadowlands qualifying session, click here.