The Meadowlands Pace Day edition of Breakfast With The Babies got underway on a sloppy track for the first time all summer. A light breeze from the east dried the track as the day wore on and temperatures held in the 70’s.
The day began with the Bee A Magician team, driver Dave Miller and trainer 'Nifty' Norman, sending out first-timer Loveable Grace and having her return with a 1:59.3 mark. The Donato Hanover lass, a $37,000 Harrisburg yearling buy for Mel Hartman and Pinske Stable, led at every call closing it out with a :28.1 final quarter. Amour Heiress was a good second beaten just a neck in her debut for Jimmy Takter.
Double Exposure took the same route for Tim Tetrick and Tony Alagna, a 1:59.3 winner in the second over Celebrity Eventsy. Another Donato Hanover filly in the 2:00 list here, a remarkable start for the sire this season. Brittany Farms and Mel Hartman are partners on Double Exposure, a $50,000 Harrisburg grad.
An exceptionally athletic looking freshman colt trotter named Soderberg was a handy winner in his career debut for Takter. Settled in the pocket until the final bend, Jimmy tipped Soderberg from behind Threeupthreedown, gave him a clout to get his attention and wore down the leader with grim resolution in 2:01.2, with his final quarter in :29.2. The winner is a Muscle Hill colt purchased by Christina Takter, John & Jim Fielding, RAW Equine and Bud Hatfield at Harrisburg for $70,000.
Takter came right back with the diminutive Muscle Hill colt Hillman to win the fourth in 2:00.1. Brushing to the lead up the backstretch, Hillman held off a battalion of closers in :29.1 for the win. Mrs. Takter and Brixton Medical own the colt, who was a $40,000 Lexington buy.
John Campbell drove BYOB to an impressive win for trainer John Butenschoen, going it virtually alone after the rest of the field broke early on. The SJs Caviar colt went legit numbers and closed the 1:58.4 mile with a :29.3 final panel under quiet restraint. BYOB is owned by Mike Simons in partnership with Chris Giaccio, Al Abdala and Don Eccleston, who parted with $24,000 to get him at Harrisburg.
Graceful Vision impressed the panel of experts in attendance this morning, going the mile of the day in 1:54.2 for driver Marcus and trainer Erv Miller. The Yankee Cruiser filly cut the mile and drew away on her own to a double-digit score, the last half in :55.2 and quarter in :27 flat over the off going. She cost Erv but $11,000 at Harrisburg and his phone will likely be ringing this afternoon.
Sam McSmith was a handy 1:56.2 winner for Scott Zeron and Tony Alagna in the seventh. The homebred McArdle colt rode along third through until the stretch and went by on his own when shown racetrack through the :28 flat final panel. Andray Farms and David Miller have been partners on Sam McSmith since he was foaled.
Trainer Tony Alagna fielded the entire superfecta in race eight, as was also the case in one of the pacing colt races last week. This time it was Tom Hill’s eponymous American Ideal colt, coincidentally a brother to last year’s Meadowlands Pace winner Hes Watching, coming from just off the pace to win in 1:55.1, with a :27.3 final quarter, for Tetrick. Cedar Dunes was second, Easy Lover Hanover third and Its Just Too Much fourth. Mr. Hill purchased the dam of the winner in foal from the Perretti dispersal of a few years ago.
The Meadowlands Pace headlines a stakes filled card with over $2.5 million in purses tonight. Post time is 7:15 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)