The Saturday, June 25 edition of Breakfast With The Babies at The Meadowlands got underway at 9:30 on another perfect morning with the temperature in the high 70’s and a very slight eastern breeze.
The colts and fillies competing in the 16 races for two-year-olds represent over $10 million spent to acquire them at auction last fall.
The Chromeos were back this morning and their champion did not disappoint, emerging from the pocket into a 28-flat final quarter for trainer-driver Ray Schnittker to win again, this time in 1:57.4. The son of Donato Hanover from Lady Holiday has become a real fan favourite and looks more and more like a bargain at the $10,000 he cost Schnittker, Ted Gewertz, Frank Baldassare and Mary Kinsey at Harrisburg last fall. Stealth Hanover (Andy McCarthy) cut the mile and held well for second with Zacks Zoomer (Marcus Miller) showing good late trot to get up for third.
Ariana G opened the day a winner for the Jimmy Takter barn, prevailing over Merry Hanover (Dave Miller) after a stretch-long duel with a :27.4 close to a mile in 1:58.2. Merry Hanover set all the fractions on a comfortable lead throughout and was dead game right to the wire. It was the second win in as many tries for Ariana G, a homebred Muscle Hill filly from Cantab It All owned by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. Yannick Gingras drove the winner.
Bob Key is off to a good start this season with winners at every venue from his battalion of home-breds and he won this morning’s second race with his Break The Bank K - Sweet Mademoiselle filly Amuses. She sat a nice pocket as Bridal Suite (Takter) set sensible fractions then went by willingly for Andy Miller in a :27.4 final quarter, the mile in 1:58. Spending Spree (Tim Tetrick) closed nicely to be second with Grand Idea (Gingras) third. Andrew Harris is the trainer.
Feed Your Head became a repeat winner for the potent Takter/Gingras duo, trotting up to early leader Lookingforamiracle as they passed the 1:31.4 three-quarters and trotted home comfortably in :28.3 to close out the mile in 2:00.2. She is another Muscle Hill, this one from the accomplished Flawless Bluestone and was a $70,000 Harrisburg buy for Melby Gard. Ice Attraction (Ake Svanstedt) was second and Lookingforamiracle (Eddie Lohmeyer) stayed on for third.
Thats All Moni impressed the Breakfast With The Babies faithful with a sweeping close from well back into a :28.1 end to the 2:01.1 mile to win going away. She’s a Cantab Hall from Moms Millionaire, dam of the remarkable Snow White, bought by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld for $230,000 in Lexington last fall. Yannick Gingras has handled Thats All Moni carefully in both of her morning trials for trainer Takter, reserving her early and letting her trot through the stretch. The Ake Svanstedt stable was second and third in this one with Evelyn and Voxy.
Optimist Blue Chip won the sixth for driver Jim Morrill, Jr, trotting by the field as they approached the half then holding Lars Perry at bay through a :28.3 end to the 1:58 mile. Trained by Tracy Brainard for herself, Blue Chip Bloodstock and Senan Hayes, the colt caused a stir among the Breakfast With The Babies crowd as he is a Deweycheatumnhowe from Winning Jonlin with both the sire and dam being by Muscles Yankee, making Optimist Blue Chip a 2X2 cross to that great sire. Dover Dan (Corey Callahan) and New Jersey Viking (Svanstedt) both flashed solid late trot to be third and fourth respectively.
Takter sent out the winner of the seventh in the Kadabra - Creamy Mimi colt Labero. He sat just off the lead for Yannick then inherited the front as Mushana went off-stride when engaged mid-stretch and finished on his own in 2:00.3. Winning Lyric (Morrill), Limerence (Svanstedt) and Perseverance (John Campbell) followed the winner in. Labero was a $130,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase by the partnership of Christina Takter, John & Jim Fielding and Herb Liverman.
The Chapter Sevens are showing up and Eastern Promise -- from the same connections as Chapter Seven -- becomes another credit for that first crop sire, winning in 1:57.3 for Tim Tetrick this morning. Linda Toscano trains the winner, who trotting home in 28.3 for owners Richard Gutnick and his partners Knutsson Trotting and TLP Stable. King On The Hill flew home for Takter to be second and Eternal Patrol (Marcus Melander) was third.
Bills Man was the winner of the ninth in 2:00.2 for Corey Callahan, trotting home in :28.4 going away. He’s a $75,000 Lexington Credit Winner from 2004 Hambo Oaks winner Silver Springs trained by John Butenschoen for William Wiswell and M&L of Delaware. El Senor Deo (Svanstedt), Dear Dad (Jim Marohn, Jr) and Tiki Taka (Marcus Miller) were next across the wire.
Achille Duharas was the easiest kind of winner for Takter and Gingras in race 10, opening a long lead under rating and then drawing away as Yannick pleased well in hand through the :28.1 end to the 2:00.3 mile. The colt is an Andover Hall homebred owned by Quebec's Haras De L Estrie from their stakes winning broodmare Ariane Du Haras. Hes Gone (Dave Miller) and Winneress (Trond Smedshammer) completed the top three.
Pacing fillies came around with the start of the 11th race and Shes Watching turned heads with a 1:55.2 winning effort, leading all the way, home in 27 flat for Gingras. She’s the Rocknroll Hanover sister to Meadowlands Pace winner and co-fastest race horse ever Hes Watching that cost Brittany Farms and Marvin Katz $200,000 at the Harrisburg sale last year. Tony Alagna is the trainer. Gemmas Beach Girl (Callahan) was second and Yourlipstogodsears (Tetrick) was third.
The Roll With Joe filly Pleasant Roll was a winner today for Andy and Julie Miller, sitting a very loose pocket through fast fractions set by Okidoki Blue Chip (Morrill) then out gaming that rival in 1:55. Owned by Andy Miller Stable and JT 45, she was a $55,000 Lexington yearling.
Another Roll With Joe filly, Pirineas Princess, came right back to win the next race in 1:56.2 with Marcus Miller driving for trainer Dennis Laterza and owner Latz A Luck Stable. Marcus left to the top, let Perplexed (Scott Zeron) go as they passed the half then tipped and went by that one on her own. Perplexed held for second and Somethinginawater (Campbell) closed to be third.
Brazuca won for John and Tom Cancelliere today with Corey Callahan working out a pocket trip for the Bettors Delight - Knock Three Times filly in 1:56.3. She got up over Jayes A Lady (Dave Miller) and mile cutter Osprey Blue Chip through the :27.4 final quarter. Brazuca was a $65,000 Harrisburg yearling.
Blood Line came in with some track cred after a win at Gaitway win two weeks ago and he lived up to the hype today with a :26.3 final quarter tacked on to the end of his 1:56.1 win with the greatest of ease. He’s a homebred Somebeachsomewhere colt from Blood Diamond owned by Diamond Creek Racing, trained by Jimmy Takter and driven today by Yannick Gingras. Iminurblindspot (Zeron) was second and Music Is Art (Tetrick) closed from way back into the fast last quarter to get up for third.
Hit The Road Joe (Morrill) continued the parade of winners for sire Roll With Joe as he got up over Harry Terror (Callahan) late stretch in 1:54 with a :28 final quarter. Taylor, Nichol, Gray and Demeter gave $45,000 at Harrisburg for the colt from the good race mare Love You Forty who is trained in the Tracy Brainard stable. Southwind Jenson was a sneaky good third after a mid-stretch check.
Outkast Blue Chip closed out today’s card a 1:56.4 winner for the Morrill, Brainard and Blue Chip interests. He’s a Rock N Roll Heaven from Armbro Savannah that was a $67,000 buy back at last year’s Goshen sale. He led all the way and was extended through a :27.4 final quarter to hold off the rally of Flight Insurance (Andy Miller), who fell just short.
Live harness racing resumes tonight at 7:15 p.m., highlighted by the Ms Hot To Trot pageant.
To view the results from Saturday morning's baby races at The Meadowlands, click the following link: Saturday Baby Races - Meadowlands Racetrack
(with files from The Meadowlands)