A number of horses whose connections have aspirations to be racing on this day a year from now took to the track for the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace day edition of Breakfast with the Babies at The Meadowlands.
Qualifiers began at 10:00 a.m. on a perfect morning with a fast track, minimal wind and the temperature at 75°F / 24°C.
Crucial opened the day with another win, her second in as many attempts in 1:57.3 in hand to Yannick Gingras. The Father Patrick filly took over as the field approached the half in a minute, rated the turn then sprinted home in :28.2 to score over Im Really Special (Tim Tetrick) and Hot Springs Volo (Brian Sears). Ron Burke trains the $200,000 Lexington purchase for his interests as Burke Racing, Bill Donovan, Weaver Bruscemi, J&T Silva and Purnell & Libby. Steve Stewart and Maumee River Stables, Black Creek Farm and Martin Schmucker bred the impressive filly.
Paul Kelley sent out a winner this morning in Cover Girl (Scott Zeron), a Muscle Hill filly from the Grand Circuit stakes winning To Dream On. Zeron moved her to the lead past the quarter, rated fairly and held off the challenges of Fashion Charmer (Dexter Dunn) to the outside and Winter Olympics (Ake Svanstedt) to the inside for the 1:59.1 win. Cover Girl is owned by the trainer along with TLP Stable, SRF Stable and L. Thomases and was bred by Katz Libfeld & Goldband who sold her in Lexington for $70,000.
Ready For Moni (Gingras) won right back in 1:57.2 from off the rated tempo. Placed second over, the Ready Cash colt fanned off cover and went by willingly through a :29 final quarter to pick up mile cutter Stay Close (David Miller). Platoon System (Corey Callahan) rallied for third. Fielding, Lindy Farms, Liverman & Hatfield gave $220,000 for him at Lexington. Moni Market Breeders bred the colt.
Trond Smedshammer drove Bluffinner -- a Credit Winner from Bluff with the grand dam being the million dollar winning Blur, both trained by Smedshammer -- to an easy forwardly-placed 1:58.2 romp over Merger Hanover (Tetrick) and Rock Party (Callahan). Purple Haze Stable gave $40,000 for the colt at Harrisburg and the breeder is Fair Winds Farm.
Papi Rob Hanover (David Miller) was a winner in 1:55.2 for trainer Brett Pelling and owner Dave McDuffee, a pair that have enjoyed great success together over the years. Papi Rob Hanover took over past the half then won as he pleased over a charging What The Luck (Matt Kreuger). The Hanover-bred Somebeachsomewhere colt brought $130,000 at Harrisburg last fall.
Caviart Jane (Zeron) won the last of the baby races in 1:53.3. A sick scratch from a Kindergarten last week, the Captaintreacherous filly was again in hand while scoring her third baby race win in as many tries for trainer Nancy Johansson. Caviart Farms and Christina Takter, who are looking forward to a big night as partners on Meadowlands Pace favourite Captain Crunch, gave $100,000 for her in Lexington last fall. White Birch Farms bred and consigned the filly.
The 'Greatest Night in Harness Racing', Meadowlands Pace night is on tap this evening with $2.5 million in stakes led by the track’s signature race: the $682,650 Meadowlands Pace. The card begins at 7:15 with post time for the Pace set at 10:10 pm. A free Meadowlands Pace night program is available here, compliments of The Meadowlands and Trackmaster.
Results for the qualifying sessions can be found at these links:
► Saturday Results - Meadowlands (Baby Races)
► Saturday Results - Meadowlands (Qualifiers)
(with files from the Meadowlands)