Breakfast With The Babies, sponsored by Fashion Farms, got underway at 9 a.m. on a slightly overcast and comparably chilly morning at The Meadowlands on Friday, June 27. The temperature was a comfortable 20°C and the track fast to begin as the flags wafted lazily in a slight breeze. Larry Fox was on hand to call the action which included 20 races for two-year-olds and three qualifiers.
Pacing fillies kicked off the card and Jimmy Slendorn pulled out his trusty slingshot and slayed a field of Goliaths with his Always B Miki filly Squankum Lady. Slendorn sent her out to the top from her outside post to the lead, yielded to a few then fanned wide for the drive and got up in the shadow of the wire in 1:55.2 — home in :27.2 — to snap American Sunshine (Jason Bartlett) and Wave Dancer (Scott Zeron) for the win. Chris Height trains the winner for Slendorn and Judith Jannuzzelli bred her.
Sheza Single Lady (Yannick Gingras) won for the second time in as many tries for trainer Nancy Takter, this time in 1:59.1, home in :28.1 on the lead. Glam (Ake Svanstedt) left to the top, released the winner then followed her in to be second. A $128,378 Lexington buy for Caviart Farms, Patrick Hoopes and Herb Liverman, the Walner filly was bred by Jay & Jacob Mossbarger.
Walner got another credit as Lucille Walner (Dexter Dunn) rolled up wide and sailed by in 2:00.1, closing several lengths in her :27.4 final quarter to get by Patrona (Gingras) who had led from the half. Joseph Davino, Brad Shackman and Drennan Stable gave $125,000 for the winner, trained by Nik Drennan, at Harrisburg. The breeders are Stop The Jade Farm, LLC and Fair Winds Farm.
Im Kronos S (Svanstedt) was an impressive first-over winner in 1:57.3 over another good pair in Ardonne (Zeron) and Apex (Dunn) who both gained into the fast 27-second final quarter very willingly. Im Kronos was winning for the second time, this even more convincing than his first. He’s another by Walner, bred in Sweden by Winged Lion Breeding and now owned by Part of Dream Inc. and Bruni Racing Team who had the winning bid of $418,919 in Lexington.
Ake Svanstedt came right back with Rambo Hanover to win impressively in 1:58.1. Svanstedt settled in just off the lead through comfortable fractions then tipped off the leader when they straightened up and went by willingly, closing in :28.1. Onassis (Gingras) and Pine Bush Landau (Pat Ryder) both had good late trot for minor placings. The Hanover-bred son of Muscle Hill is owned by Svanstedt with Brochart Racing and Al Libfeld, who shelled out $520,270 at Lexington.
Reserved off early fractions, Sparks made it three straight for Svanstedt and four so far on the day for sire Walner when she trotted up uncovered and by the leaders to get the 1:58.3 score over a closing Chant (Trond Smedshammer). Bred by Fair Winds and Bellevue Farms, the winner was a $208,333 Harrisburg purchase by Svanstedt, Journey Horses Inc., Graham Grace Stables LLC and Joe Sbrocco And JAF Racing.
Nancy & Jimmy Takter combined on a winner in the Ready For Moni filly Godusa, who took over near the quarter, rolled along smartly then sprinted home in 28 seconds for the 1:57.3 record over a long uncovered bid by Opulence (Andy McCarthy). Bred by Carter Duer, Godusa was a $48,611 Harrisburg buy for E Five Racing and John Fielding.
Tristan Sjoberg has famously said his mom loves white horses and they unveiled a vintage beauty this morning in Nebbiolo, a pure white son of first-crop sire Captain Corey. Nebbiolo sat just off the lead of Trumptactical (Josert Fonseca) then pounced when given the signal and came away with a 1:59.4 win, home in 28 seconds. Tristan races as Knutsson Trotting and Ake Svanstedt is the trainer and driver, this his fourth winner on the day.
Melander Stable sent out its first winner on the day with the Muscle Hill gelding, Nix Nacken who tracked down the leader for driver Scott Zeron and rolled on by with a :27.3 end to the 1:58.1 mile over inside closing Sevenato (Smedshammer). Anders Ström owns the winner via his Courant, Inc, having paid $351,351 at Lexington to breeders Kentuckiana Farms LLC and Eddie Gran.
Race 10 became a Tony Alagna trainee match race when two scratched and two broke before the start, leaving just Pretty Picky (Todd McCarthy) who cut the mile and prevailed over barn mate Even It Up (Andy McCarthy) in an uneventful 1:59.3. A Tactical Landing filly, the winner was bred by Crawford Farms who remains a partner with LeBlanc, Pryde Stable and William Beattie. She sold for $87,838 in Lexington.
Frattina Diabolo S (Todd McCarthy) inherited the lead when the leader broke mid-turn and sailed away in :28.2 down the stretch to an easy 2:00.1 win over Pray For A Win. The winner is a Captain Corey Swedish homebred, trained by Alagna and owned by Dreamlover Ab.
Propulsion sired a winner today when Royal Drive (Todd McCarthy) set a 30-second clip then sprinted home in :27.3 to just hang on over the relentless close of Inexpressable (Zeron) in 1:57.2.
Royal Drive is a Claude Gendreau homebred, trained by Alagna, who also trained the sire during his U.S. campaigns as a youngster.
American Power wanted to go early on but Dexter Dunn didn’t allow it, reserving the Walner colt well off the lead of Captainofillusion (McCarthy) then waiting for the final three-eighths to let him trot. American Power responded with a strong last half, gobbling up his rivals for a 2:00.3 win. Diversion (Zeron) split rivals willingly when asked to be second. Bred by Katz & Libfeld from their champion mare Ariana G, American Power drew a $405,405 winning bid from M. Biasuzzi Stable at Lexington. He is trained in the Melander barn.
The pacing races began with Shes A Rich Girl (Zeron), a blueblood that cost Richard and Joanne Young a good chunk of change. But that $513,514 Lexington price tag looked like a bargain as she stormed by the field to a 1:57 win, closing into a :27.4 final quarter over Tan Lines Hanover — also impressive for driver Fonseca, closing in late with a sub :27 finish. The winning daughter of Captaintreacherous and triple Breeders Crown winner My Little Dragon is a sister to the winners of more than $3 million including full sister Treacherous Dragon and three-quarter brother Stay Hungry. Linda Toscano trains the filly, bred by Steve Stewart, Conquest Acres and David Schmucker, Jr.
Todd McCarthy timed it perfectly with Drink To That, determinedly rolling by the competition from well off the early pace with a :26.4 end to the 1:55.2 mile, then holding off the serious late rush of Signal Caller (Andy McCarthy).
A son of Tall Dark Stranger, the winner was a $63,514 Lexington buy for Riverview Racing, Steve Head, Pryde & Alagna and Caviart Farms. Riverview gets a breeder credit along with trainer Tony Alagna and Marvin Katz.
Brandon Blvd gave Todd two straight, converting a pocket ride into a 1:55.3 win, home in :27 to hold off Bee Sting (David Miller) and a late-rallying A Perfect Moment (Zeron). Andrew Harris trains the $574,324 Lexington purchase for his interests along with partners Bill Pollock and Bruce Areman. Crawford Farms is the breeder of the Captaintreacherous colt.
Play Date gave Todd McCarthy his sixth and Alagna his fifth on the day when she whipped out around the leader at the 1:02.1 half, took off and sprinted home in 56 seconds winning as she pleased over Fabulous Hanover (Fonseca) in 1:58.2. The daughter of Tall Dark Stranger is a Brittany Farms and Marvin And Lynn Katz homebred.
Sam DePinto has another nice Papi Rob Hanover in the filly Papis Crush, who sat a pocket for driver Gingras and then brushed through like she meant it late — home in :27.2 — to get the win in 1:55.2 over the wide-closing JK Fierce Lady (Dunn).
Shannon De Pinto and Chris Arvanitis own her, having paid $94,595 at Lexington to breeders Oliverio, Carter and Klotz.
First Colt (Dunn) led from the word 'go' in Race 19, then the going got serious as they straightened up for home with Shakeitonthebeach (Lauren Tritton) first at him then widest of all Idyllic Stranger (Gingras) surged by right at the light for the 1:57.1 win. Another Tall Dark Stranger winner, the colt went through Lexington for $33,784 and is a partial homebred with Christina Takter and Marvin Katz staying in and adding Barry Guariglia’s Black Horse Racing and the trainer, Nancy Takter.
Zeron and Toscano combined for the last of the day with Rocknacious winning on debut, leading all the way in 1:58.2 home in :27.3. The Perfect Sting colt, first foal from Breeders Crown winner Rocknificent, was a $202,703 Lexington buy for South Mt Held Toscano Stable, Steve Stewart, Deo Volente Racing and Little E, LLC with Enviro Stable, South Mountain, Little E and John Schmucker the breeders.
Meadowlands races both Friday and Saturday nights, first post time at 6:20 p.m. , with the Saturday card featuring some of harness racing's biggest names.
(with files from The Meadowlands)