While trainer Nancy Takter dominated the Meadowlands Pace Day edition of Breakfast With The Babies by winning six of the nine dashes, older pacer Nicholas Beach made harness racing history after the baby races had concluded.
Sponsored by Fashion Farms, Breakfast With The Babies began at 9:00 on a warm, muggy morning, cloudy skies and no wind.
In addition to her half dozen baby races winners, Takter also sent out sophomore trotting colt Really Fast, who held off the charge of Kildare King in 1:51.2 for Yannick Gingras.
Top open class pacer Nicholas Beach reeled off what, to the knowledge of the panel of experts present, the fastest qualifying race ever. Driver Joe Bongiorno put Nicholas Beach on the front through a half in :55, set sail with a :27.2 third panel then flew home in :25.2 for a 1:47.4 final time with Bongiorno sitting chilly in the bike.
Crawford Trot winner of a few weeks ago Forbidden Trade (Dan Dube) just got up over Mississippi Storm in 1:51.2 to wrap up the day.
An American Ideal colt match race opened the card when the first was scratched down to two. Scott Zeron put Go With The Flow on the lead from the start and held sway over Third Power (Dexter Dunn) despite drifting noticeably in the stretch, the mile in 1:55. Go With The Flow is trained by Linda Toscano for owner/breeder Arnie Chusid.
Jimmy Takter drove the Father Patrick colt Takato to a 1:57.3 win over stablemate Pretender (Josert Fonseca) in Race 2. Nancy Takter trains the winner for Black Horse Racing, John Fielding and her mom Christina who paid $140,000 for the colt in Lexington from breeder Steve Stewart and Kemppi Farms.
JK Standingovation (Dunn) won right back for Nancy in the third, stalking an honest pace set by El Pistolero (Andy Miller) and breaking the beam in 1:53.4 after closing in :28.1. The son of JK Endofanera cost 3 Brothers Stables and Caviart Farms a hefty $240,000 at the Hoosier Classic sale last fall.
Famous Father made it a natural hat trick for Nancy Takter with her famous father Jimmy along for the ride. After a stalking trip, the elder Takter tipped the Father Patrick colt to the outside as they straightened up and he went on by willingly. Goran Falk and Christina Takter are partners on the son of their broodmare Hollywood Hill.
Balance made it four straight for the Takter barn when Scott Zeron drove him to a impressive front running 1:53.3 win over Two Proud (A. Miller) with something left. The Bettors Delight colt from West Of LA, producer of horses that have earned more than $3 million, is owned by Diamond Creek Racing and was bred by Bob McIntosh and CSX Stable.
Dave Miller drove the Nifty Norman-trained Cantab Hall filly Fortunapedia to a 2:02.3 win over stablemate Seven Shadows (Dunn). Ross Stables bred Fortunapedia, who was purchased from the Standardbred Horse Sale for $30,000 by current owners Patricia Stable and the trainer.
Nancy picked it right back up with “One For The Thumb” in the seventh with homebred Always B Idyllic (Dunn) who set a steady pace then sprinted home in :27.2 for the 1:54.1 win over a late moving Treacherous Dragon (Tetrick). Christina Takter, Marvin Katz and Brixton Medical own the Always B Miki filly from the million-dollar winning race mare Idyllic Beach.
Mrs Taylor was a 2:00.2 winner for Yannick Gingras for the Burke barn, sliding up the inside through a :29.1 last quarter for the score over Giza Dreams (Zeron) and Unmistakable (Tony Alagna) with Agro Dolce (D. Miller) flashing sneaky late foot to be fourth. The winner is by Muscle Hill from the great Buck I St Pat, who Burke trained to a double millionaire career.
Midnite Express G (Tetrick) closed out the day as Nancy Takter’s sixth winner of the morning. Tetrick held the Donato Hanover filly just off the lead as Jaya Bae (Marcus Melander) set comfortable fractions and when tipped and asked, she responded willingly. Just Bee Awsome (D. Miller) closed up nicely to get the place under a grip while the early leader held for third. Midnite Express G is owned and was bred by Misty Ridge Stable.
Tonight is of course “The Greatest Night In Harness Racing”, Meadowlands Pace night and all that comes with it. A special post time of 6:00 p.m. for tonight’s card and the Pace will highlight a two-hour live broadcast of America’s Day At The Races on Fox Sports 2. Free programs are available on the web.
To view the full results from the morning session, click one of the following links: Baby Races || Qualifiers.
(Meadowlands)
Nicholas Beach is nominated
Nicholas Beach is nominated to The Sam McKee on Hambletonian Day, Aug. 7. I think this will be the first stakes race which he has ever competed in. It's amazing that he's 5, yet he's never in his career finished worse than 2nd.