The swan song of the 2016 Breakfast With The Babies season took place this morning (Saturday, July 30) on a nice day of around 80 degrees and no wind.
The day began with a qualifier for older horses, as many of the drivers had to hop a plane to get to The Meadows for this afternoon’s Adios.
That first race heralded the return to racing of 2015 U.S. Trotter of the Year Pinkman with a 1:53.2 winning effort. He set all the fractions for Yannick Gingras and held on through a :27.2 final quarter resisting the strong close of Rose Run Parker. Hambletonian contender Marion Marauder was drawn into this qualifier but did not appear.
Future Secured, the most costly of all 2015 yearlings at $500,000, has recently been relocated to the Ake Svanstedt barn by owners Bender Sweden and Roy Holth. She was a winner at first asking for Ake in 1:57 leading virtually every step and winning easily over Way Out West (Corey Callahan).
Corey won the second race in 2:01.1 on Devanly for trainer Jonas Czernyson. The Donato Hanover lass inherited the lead on the backstretch from a breaking Barn Goddess and held sway over Ophelia (Joe Bongiorno) and Vicky Kronos IT (Marcus Melander). Devanly was a $30,000 Harrisburg buy for Millstream Stable, Alderbaran Park, Joe Sbrocco and Little E, LLC.
Explosive Ridge was the easiest kind of winner for Marcus and Nancy Johansson cutting the 1:59.2 mile, then sprinting home in :28.3. He’s a Kenny Ross homebred Explosive Matter that Nancy is now a partner on. Muscle Almighty (John Campbell) was second.
Oscar Florhed drove Ebury Street to a 1:59.2 win for his boss Ake Svanstedt in the Andover Hall colt’s very first start. Ebury Street sat patiently in the pocket behind Takter and Nobel Prize for Oscar then went by willingly on his own for the win. Knutsson Trotting and Courant AB own the $37,000 Harrisburg yearling.
Pacers come onto the track after a break and John Campbell steered Ozzy Blue Chip to a front-stepping 1:56.2 win for trainer Steve Elliott. Candell (Mark MacDonald) rallied up the inside after a pocket ride to be second and Mr Varsity (Callahan) had good late pace for third. The winner, a $95,000 Lexington yearling is owned by the Breeder Blue Chip Farms with Fred Monteleone.
Passport To Art looked sharp in a 1:55.3 win today for driver Joe Bongiorno. He cut the mile and sprinted home in :27.3 under his own power to win by a couple over Rock N Blue (Campbell). Tony Alagna trains the winner, an $80,000 Harrisburg buy, for Crawford Farms, In The Gym Stables, Joe Sbrocco and Adriano Sorella.
Kiss Kiss won the final baby race of the season for a couple of legends, driver John Campbell and trainer Ross Croghan. She followed the lead of Emily R Hanover (Keith Kamann) through easy fractions then engaged that one through the :27.3 end to the 1:56 mile. Let It Ride and Dana Parham own the American Ideal filly.
It’s Hambletonian Oaks elim night at The Meadowlands with several exciting stakes on the bill as well as the popular Brews, Blues & BBQ. First race post time is 7:15 p.m.
For the results charts from Saturday morning's sessions, click on one of the following links: Saturday Baby Races - Meadowlands Racetrack -- Saturday Qualifiers - Meadowlands Racetrack.
(with files from The Meadowlands)