After three qualifiers at half-mile and five-eighths mile tracks, rookie pacing colt Forefather certainly found the larger surface at The Meadowlands to his liking with a sizzling mile to headline the session of baby races on Friday (July 24) at the Big M.
Forefather and driver Scott Zeron sat in the pocket behind Ilderton Am (Dave Miller) through fractions of :29, 57.3 and 1:25.4 before nagling out in the stretch and sprinting home in :26.4 for the 1:52.4 speed badge. Ilderton Am was three parts of a length back in second.
Trained by Brett Pelling, Forefather (Somebeachsomewhere - Charisma Hanover) was a $115,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase and is owned by Diamond Creek Racing of Wellsville, Penn., Crossover Racing of Lexington, Ky., 3 Brothers Stables of New York, N.Y. and Caviart Farms of Vienna, Va.
After a few starts exhibiting bad behaviour with purse money on the line, high-priced 2019 yearling Zenith Stride minded his manners with a wire-to-wire 1:56.3 score in the fastest trotting mile of the morning.
Brian Sears was at the controls for Zenith Stride (Muscle Hill - Open Access), a $350,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase owned by Emilio & Maria Rosati of Australia that hails from the Mark Harder stable.
After the baby races, older pacer None Bettor A showed his rivals no mercy with an on-the-engine 1:48.3 scorcher -- a lifetime best for the seven-year-old Andrew Harris trainee. Andy McCarthy was at the controls for Joe P Racing LLC of Delray Beach, Fl. and Oldford Racing LLC of Port Huron, Mi.
To view the results from the Friday morning qualifying session, click one of the following links: