Magical Acres served up a voluminous offering of two-year-old qualifying races on Tuesday (June 30), as the New Jersey training facility played host to 20 dashes, the first 15 of which were devoted to juvenile trotters and pacers.
The track was listed as 'fast' for all of the races, and a pacing colt and pacing filly each recorded the fastest two-year-old win times of the session.
Four races for rookie pacing males were contested, and the fastest of those miles was recorded by the Chris Ryder-trained and Dexter Dunn-driven Stonebridge Reef (Somebeachsomewhere--Rock N Soul), who got the job done in 1:56.2. The $200,000 Lexington Selected yearling purchase started from Post 1, cut all of the fractions (:30.4, 1:01.2, 1:29.3), and capped off the mile with a :26.4 final quarter. The margin of victory was an expanding five and a half lengths. Stonebridge Reef is the second foal out of the $1.1-million earner Rock N Soul and is owned by the S R Partners of Allentown, NJ.
Three of the session's races were for pacing fillies, and it was the Linda Toscano-trained and Scott Zeron-driven Making Waves (Captaintreacherous--Trim Hanover) that also recorded a 1:56.2 win. After a Post 3 start, the bay took a pocket ride through the opening half (:30.1, 1:00.4) and was up and challenging the leader by the 1:29.3 three-quarters pole. The filly took off after the third call, and went on to record a five-length victory via a :26.4 final quarter. Making Waves is owned by Brittany Farms LLC and is out of the same mare as millionaires American Jewel and Luck Be Withyou.
Three races for trotting colts and gelding were contested during the session, and it was the Father Patrick--All The Time colt Speed Away that recorded the fastest of those win times. Speed Away started from Post 6, cut all of the fractions (:30.3, 1:00.4, 1:29.4), and cruised home with a :28.4 final quarter. The win time was 1:58.3 and the margin of victory was eight lengths. Andrew McCarthy was at the helm for trainer Jonas Czernyson, who conditions Speed Away for Consus Racing Stable Inc. Speed Away is the first foal out of millionaire All The Time.
Fledgling trotting fillies comprised five of session's 15 'baby races,' and the quickest win time from those dashes was produced by the Jim Campbell-trained and Dexter Dunn-driven Evening Stroll (Cantab Hall--Wind Stroll), who got the job done in 1:59. After the wings of the starting gate folded, the bay went to the top, cut all of the fractions (:30.4, 1:01.3, 1:30) and capped off the wire-to-wire win with a 29-second final quarter. The margin of victory was an expanding five and a half lengths. Evening Stroll is a homebred of Tony Holmes and Walter Zent.