Saturday morning baby races and qualifiers began under overcast skies with the track a touch off after overnight rains.
As usual, trotters started the day with Red Hot Spicy and L Dees Scripture catching eyes. Red Hot Spicy, a Muscle Hill from What A Way, won back for Jimmy Takter closing nicely in :28.2 on the end of a 2:00.3 mile. Order By Stable is the owner.
L Dees Scripture led all the way in her impressive 1:58.4 career debut. This Credit Winner-Graceful Way filly comes from the Andy and Julie Miller barn, conditioned for owners Lawrence Dumain and Carlo Lattinelli.
Shift Into Glide won right back in 2:01.3 under some Ron Pierce encouragement to hold off the strong close of Hillustrious. The Yankee Glide-Arbor Harbor colt, who was a $250,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase, is trained by Noel Daley for new Hall of Fame nominee Bill Weaver and Caviart Farms.
Big Bang Hanover looked sharp this morning for brothers John and Jim Campbell. The Donato Hanover colt from CR Calendar Girl cut the mile and won handily in 1:58.2. The half-sibling to Christiana Hanover ($326,511, 1:53.4) and Coffeecake Hanover ($213,725, 1:56.2) is owned by the Shore Thing Stable LLC.
Dionysus Lindy won at second asking for John Duer. The Crazed-Athenas Lindy colt wore down pacesetter Royal Trickster to win in 2:01.1. Frank Antonacci trains for Lindy Farms of Connecticut.
Michaels Turn was a first timer than opened with a win for Campbell and Ross Croghan from just off the lead in 2:00.2 (:28.2 final quarter). He's a sharp looking Muscle Hill colt from Donato Hanover's half-sister Decimal Hanover, purchased at Harrisburg for $105,000 by The Rudolphs and Bernard Owen.
Croghan sent out the homebred Western Ideal-Easton Alliance N filly Nikites next and she was a forwardly placed 1:56 winner with Campbell aboard.
Sandbetweenurtoes rolled home in :28.2 on her own in taking a 1:56 record for Tetrick. John Carver bred this Somebeachsomewhere-Als Girl filly, trained by Tony Alagna.
Jet Airway was impressive for Andy Miller in setting all the fractions and sprinting home in :27-seconds on the end of a 1:53.2 jaunt. The Jeremes Jet-Aromatic colt is owned by trainer Erv Miller in partnership with Tangie Massey, Paul Sunderhaus and Larry Agle. Winds Of Change actually gained in the stretch to be second.
Alagna has a couple possible potential heirs to the "Captain's" throne that made appearances on Saturday. The first is the Somebeachsomebeach-Boldnbrash Hanover colt named Thats My Opinion. The $350,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase by several of the principals in Myron Bell's Captaintreacherous group was eased to the lead by Brian Sears past the :57.1 half then sprinted two consecutive :28 quarters to finish out the 1:53.1 mile on his own. Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Joe Sbrocco and Jeff Gural's Little E LLC are the owners.
Next up, Ideal Magic continued to impress for Alagna and Tetrick, winning for the third time, this one in 1:54.4 off a half in a minute with no urging. Cheap Speed (Alagna and Aaron Waxman) Sbrocco, Eagles Soar Partners and Louis Willinger are the proud owners of the American Ideal-Special Magic, $52,000 Lexington yearling purchase.
The 14th race wound up full of the best trotters in training as a result of there being no elimination needed for the Maple Leaf Trot. Driven by Tetrick, Market Share looked absolutely vicious setting fractions of :29, :56.2, 1:23.4 and tacking a :26.4 kicker on the end of the 1:50.3 mile. The Linda Toscano trainee simply trotted away from a very formidable group and looked as good as a horse could look for owners Richard Gutnick, the T L P Stable, and William Augustine.
To view Saturday's qualifying results, click on the following links: Baby Races / Qualifying Results.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)