Gaitway Farm in New Jersey played host to 16 qualifying races on Monday (June 29), ten of which were devoted to two-year-olds looking to get their careers off on the right hoof.
The fastest two-year-old mile of the session was recorded by a pacing filly, as the Tony Alagna-trained and Tim Tetrick-driven Notorious Pink (Captaintreacherous--Shes A Hot Mess) paced to a going-away, three-length win in 1:55. The $35,000 yearling purchase left from Post 3 and was parked past the :29.4 quarter pole. The young miss sat in the pocket through the middle splits (:59.3, 1:28) before firing home in :26.4. The morning mile was the second qualifying effort for Notorious Pink, who is owned by Alagna Racing LLC, Steven Head, John Fodera, and Riverview Racing LLC.
The session featured four races for pacing colts and geldings, and two fledgling males stopped the clock in 1:55.3 during their respective outings. The first to turn the trick was the Joe Holloway-trained and David Miller-driven Perfect Sting (Always B Miki--Shebestingin), who took a two-hole trip through the fractions (:30.3, 1:00.3, 1:28.1) and got up for a nose win courtesy of a :27.1 final quarter. Perfect Sting is owned by Brittany Farms LLC and Val Dor Farms. In the other 1:55.3 mile, the Tony Alagna-trained and Dexter Dunn-driven Exploit (Somebeachsomewhere--Time On My Hands) raced fifth through the fractions (:30.3, 1:00.3, 1:27.4) and fired from second over with a :27 final quarter to win by two and a quarter lengths. Exploit, who was a $165,000 Lexington Selected yearling purchase, is owned by Robert Leblanc, Joe Sbrocco, In The Gym Partners, and Joseph Barbera.
The session also featured single qualifying races for trotting colts and geldings and for trotting fillies. In the contest for the colts and geldings, the Jen Bongiorno-trained and Joe Biongiorno-driven Tart Tongue (Southwind Frank--Mariongotchocolate) raced third through the fractions (:29.4, :59.3, 1:27.4) and took a first-up route to a 1:58 win. The margin of victory was three quarters of one length. Tart Tongue, who was purchased for $12,000 during last fall's Lexington Selected sale, is owned by Blair and Erna Corbeil. In terms of the race for trotting fillies, the Tony Alagna-trained and Andrew McCarthy-driven Hello I Love You (Trixton--Flirtin Miss) raced at the back of the pack in fourth through the fractions (:29.4, :59.4, 1:29.1) and then out-kicked everyone to notch a nose win in 1:59.2. Hello I Love You is owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc., M T Pockets Stables, and Alagna Racing LLC.