A morning of sunshine and mild heat draped East Rutherford, N.J. for another session of the Fashion Farms-sponsored Breakfast at the Babies on Saturday (June 25) with a total of 93 freshmen schooling to the gate and around the track in 14 qualifiers at The Meadowlands.
Tony Alagna’s barn raced prominently in the session, with six from the stable passing the finish first. Nancy Takter conditions three of the afternoon’s winners. Andrew McCarthy led all drivers with four wins, all on Alagna pupils.
Pacing debutantes opened the baby session with a come-from-behind win by Sweet Phenomena. The $150,000 Lexington Selected purchase sat fourth of the five while Tony Alagna pupil Treacherousdame carved fractions of :30.3, :59.2 and 1:28. Moving to three-quarters, driver Yannick Gingras nursed Sweet Phenomena while approaching first over and continued to gain steadily in the straightaway to snag the victory right at the beam over a well-held but still green Southwind Guiness, who made a brief break when caught in a tight seam, and Treacherousdame. Nancy Takter trains the daughter of Sweet Lou-Omen Hanover for owners Howard Taylor and Chuck Pompey.
Cultured added heat to the morning’s climbing temperatures. Driver Scott Zeron sent the Linda Toscano-trained daughter of Captaintreacherous-Fine Art for the lead and split the field in two while clicking splits of :29.3, :57.3 and 1:26.1. Caviart Leelo kept close in second but only gave chase while Cultured paced a geared-down final quarter of :27.1 to register the mile in 1:53.2. Constellation closed well off cover to finish third and Ursula Blue Chip faltered from a first-over drive to fourth. Cultured, a $120,000 Lexington Selected purchase bred by Diamond Creek Farm LLC, competes for owners Bays Stable, Two Horseman Stable, Fred Wallace and JAF Racing LLC.
Scott Zeron sizzled another mile in the next, this time for trainer Tony Alagna behind the Hes Watching-Cash Reward filly Bankers Luck. The Brittany Farms LLC homebred paced under minimal encouragement through a clip of :29.4, :58.4 and 1:26.3 to then seal the deal with a 1:53.2 mile, pacing her final quarter in :26.4. Cantgetuoutamymind saved ground at the pylons for second and Caviart Davia slipped between horses to take third.
The front proceeded to falter in the following race. Southwind Cherry sped off a :29 first quarter to a :57.3 half but straightened for home under an even stride. Meanwhile, Kitty Hawk S peeled off the pylons but drifted, leaving a gap for If The Shoe Fits to burst through to the lead in the final eighth and clock a 1:56 mile under wraps. Ruth Honig rallied for second, Kitty Hawk S held third and Southwind Cherry settled for fourth. Tony Alagna trains and co-owns If The Shoe Fits, a Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld-bred filly by Father Patrick-Fancy Colors purchased from Lexington for $30,000, through his Alagna Racing LLC with Brad Grant.
Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld’s homebred Grandé fought gamely in the first event for trotting fillies. Jimmy Takter piloted the regally-bred Nancy Takter-trained daughter of Chapter Seven and Ariana G (first foal of the dam) as she strolled through splits of :30.3 and 1:01.1 until Heart On Fire loomed towards the lead but veered well off the pegs. The wide route flattened Heart On Fire after three-quarters in 1:30.3 as Life Itself lunged through to press Grandé in the final eighth. Stride for stride in the finishing yards, Grandé kept a nose in front of Life Itself in a 1:58.1 mile as Aldebaran Burst closed for third and Graceful Patty took fourth.
After tempo-setter Intrepid Filly jumped stride up the backside, the Father Patrick-Dream Baby Dream filly My Annas Dream inherited the lead and held firm on the point through the end of a 2:00 mile in the final fillies race of the morning. Driver Dexter Dunn settled the Wiesman Farm LLC homebred in the pocket to a :31.1 first quarter and assumed the lead after a 1:01.4 half. The Nancy Takter pupil then faced first-over pressure from Catholic by three-quarters in 1:32.2 but uncorked a :27.3 final quarter to keep an extended Catholic at bay while Sadie Hanover closed for third and Heaven Hanover hustled home for fourth.
Captain Up snagged the lead by a :30.4 first quarter in the opening race for pacing colts and geldings and tried to sneak home off middle fractions of 1:00.1 and 1:28.3. But Tony Alagna trainee Caviart Callum — a three-quarter brother to world champion Caviart Camden — kicked off the cones to the final turn and gradually advanced towards the front before taking aim on the pacesetter in the sprint down the straightaway. The Caviart Farms homebred son of Downbytheseaside-Caviart Christa collared Captain Up with ease, edging to the lead to win in 1:55.3 in rein to Andrew McCarthy. Senor Soldado settled for third and Fateful Duel finished fourth.
The Stay Hungry-Big Mcdeal colt Hungry Man strode confidently to a 1:53.4 victory in the next mile. Andrew McCarthy rated the Tony Alagna pupil through fractions of :28.3, :57.2 and 1:26.2 before calling upon him in the straight while chased home by stablemates Cabot Beach and Captain Van Gogh. Sweet Timber loomed late but flattened to the finish and settle for fourth. Brad Grant owns the $80,000 Lexington Selected purchase bred by Steve Jones.
Ants Marching strolled on the point unchallenged through a tempo of :29.4, :59.2 and 1:28.2 and turned for home under a firm grip from driver Yannick Gingras until Dupree Hanover pounced off cover. The Tony Alagna-trained son of Stay Hungry-Dimming Of The Day barreled after the lead late and caught Ants Marching off guard with his momentum to take the mile in 1:55 in rein to Andrew McCarthy with Sparrow Hanover finishing third and Everybodyloveslou fourth. Alagna co-owns the $50,000 Harrisburg purchase through Alagna Racing LLC with partners Jablonsky Held Stable and Brad Grant.
Hungry Angel Boy paced a vicious 1:51.4 mile in the next. The Tony Alagna-trained colt by Stay Hungry-Angel Scent paced slow first-half splits of :29.1 and :57.1 but accelerated into his :54.3 back half. Clocking three-quarters in 1:25.2, he sprinted home while keeping Bamboozler at bay as he greenly rallied but continuously gained in settling for second, with Tickertape Hanover finishing third and Kopi Luwak taking fourth. Alagna Racing LLC, Pryde Stables Inc. and Pit Bull Stable LLC owns the $30,000 Harrisburg purchase bred by Doug Millard and Spring Haven Farm.
Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt swung wide off the final turn with the Walner-Grand Stand colt Up Your Deo and kept him to task to the finish of a 1:56.4 mile in the first race on the morning for trotting colts and geldings. Up Your Deo sat third as Growin Account ground to the lead through a :30 first quarter and cruised to a :58.4 half and to three-quarters in 1:28.1. Svanstedt started to build momentum with his charge rounding for home and bounded strongly until the final eighth, where he was encouraged while chased home by fast-closing Kenobi. Kilgore S finished third and Growin Account faded to fourth. Ake Svanstedt co-owns the $100,000 Lexington Selected purchase with Suleyman Yuksel Stables, Van Camp Trotting Corp. and breeder Deo Volente Farms LLC.
Marcus Melander pupils prompted each other through the stretch to clock a 1:56.1 mile with Crown getting the upper hand on Kilmister. Mattias Melander sat close to the speed as Devilish Hill clicked a :29.2 first quarter and cruised up the backside until Kilmister began a brush for the lead into a :59.1 half. Kilmister led the field to three-quarters in 1:27.4 while Crown slid off the pylons and reeled in his stablemate through the lane. The two raced in tandem to the final sixteenth, where the Chapter Seven-Amour Heiress edged a nose in front of Kilmister and maintained that margin to the finish. Challenger charged home for third and Devilish Hill finished fourth. S R F Stable owns Crown, a $250,000 Lexington Selected purchase bred by Order By Stable Ab.
Te Amo Lindy rolled home in the penultimate baby race to etch a 1:59 mile. The Domenico Cecere-trained colt by Muscle Hill-Lovely Lindy, bred and owned by K R Breeding LLC, sat third as Kraken cut fractions of :30.3 and 1:00.4 before driver Yannick Gingras sent Te Amo Lindy for the front off three-quarters in 1:30.3. He strolled to the finish chased by Novel, Kaleun and Kierkegaard K respectively to win in a tepid stretch drive with a hazard into the stride-out turn; Mr Mullinks broke stride at the start but then fell to the far side of the clubhouse turn. Mr Mullinks did stand back on his feet and walked back to the paddock following the incident.
Properly named Little Expensive, a $250,000 Lexington Selected purchase, capped the baby race session with a 1:56.4 coast-to-coast mile. The Muscle Hill-Seviyorum colt gradually separated from his rivals through a clip of :30.2, 1:00 and 1:29. Driver Andy Miller motored the Julie Miller trainee for home and, despite a couple wobbly steps nearing the finish, kept composure through a :27.4 final quarter while chased home by Ari Ferrari J, who also held together in the sprint to the finish. Partner Dolan finished third and Kimmerdigian took fourth. Little Expensive, from a dam whom Team Miller campaigned to a half-million-dollar career, competes for owners Andy Miller Stable Inc., Daniel Plouffe and Jean Goehlen.
Horses will come back to the track as the sun falls west with first race post time at 6:20 p.m. (EDT). Alongside the evening’s racing, patrons can enjoy Winefest, featuring wines from around the globe and some of the best racing from around the globe. Free programs are available as always on The Meadowlands website.
(Meadowlands)