The Fourth of July Breakfast With The Babies session, sponsored by Fashion Farms, got underway at 9 a.m. on a perfect summer morning at The Meadowlands. The temperature was a comfortable 22°C, the track nice and fast with negligible breeze to begin. John Rallis and Greg Blanchard called the action.
First up for the baby races today was a 1:57 win by Skillful Tactics (Yannick Gingras) who set all the fractions on a loose lead and held safe over his closest pursuer David Seaman S (Ake Svanstedt) through a :28.1 final panel on his own. The Tactical Landing colt was bred by Chris Beiler and was a $48,611 Harrisburg buy for Leblanc & Kribbs, Pryde Stables Inc, William Beattie and In The Gym Partners. Nancy Takter trains.
Pretty Picky (Todd McCarthy) made it two straight for Tactical Landing and many of the same owners when she followed along in the pocket until head stretch then zipped to the top and won over Ygritte (Dexter Dunn) in 1:58.1, home in :28.2. Tony Alagna trains Pretty Picky, a $87,838 Lexington yearling, for Robert Leblanc, Pryde Stables Inc, Beattie and and breeder Crawford Farms.
Trond Smedshammer drove his Walner colt Kingmen to a front-stepping 1:58.2 win over the debuting million-dollar colt Cambridge Hanover (Dexter Dunn). Kingmen was a $69,444 Harrisburg yearling bred by Southwind Farms, and is owned by Peaceful Acre Farm, Klee Bolasci & Vierno.
Ake Svanstedt guided Campanzia to a half-length tally over Miguel (Jimmy Takter) after a stirring stretch duel in 1:59.3. Svanstedt owns the Gimpanzee gelding — a $166,667 Harrisburg purchase bred by Joseph Davino, Brad Shackman, and Drennan Stable LLC — with Little E LLC, Graham Grace Stables LLC and Kiwi Stables LLC.
The ninth race resulted in a Tony Alagna exacta as Frattina Diablo S (Todd McCarthy) set the trot and closed out the 1:59.4 mile with a :28.1 final quarter to stay on top over the bold close of Opulence (Andy McCarthy) who again had impressive late trot. The winner is a Dreamlover Ab homebred by Captain Corey.
Nancy Takter had an exacta of her own in the 10th when Walner lass Crown The Queen (Gingras) led all the way and took the win over the fast inside close of Leading Lady (Jimmy Takter) in 1:57.3. Third time was the charm; after breaks in the first two, the $337,838 Lexington purchase was straight and true this morning for owners by Robert Leblanc, Herb Liverman, Caviart Farms and Pryde Stables Inc. James Avritt is the breeder.
Jimmy Takter drove Madam Cheval, a Walner filly from his great mare Shake It Cerry, to a 1:59.1 win in her debut. Third through the early going, Takter moved uncovered and wore down the leaders finishing with a :28.1 final quarter to best Funny Story (Todd McCarthy). M Biasuzzi Stable Inc. paid $445,946 at Lexington for Madam Cheval to breeder Solveig’s Racing Partners.
Perfect Sting had a winner when the pacing races began with A Perfect Moment, converting a pocket trip from driver Scott Zeron into a 1:56.2 score over No Stranger To Me (Gingras). The winner is trained in the Alagna barn and is owned by the breeder, Dr. Fred Kruszelnicki.
Pacing colts threw down in the stretch drive of the 13th race, with Ocean B (Todd McCarthy) and Fearless Partner (Zeron) battling right to the wire. Ocean B hung on for the close call in the 1:54.4 tussle. Brett Pelling trains the winner, a Winbak Farm-bred son of Always B Miki owned by Bay Pond Racing.
Pelling won right back with another Perfect Sting, this one the filly Sunny Station (Todd McCarthy) who took over before the half and drove in comfortably in 1:56 to defeat Snackcident (Dunn). Deo Volente Farms gave $87,838 at Lexington for the winner, bred by Spring Station Bloodstock.
Perfect Sting offspring made it three straight in Race 15 with another filly winning, this time Beautiful Memory (Andy McCarthy) cut the mile and held off the charge from Amira Hanover (Joe Bongiorno) through a :27.4 end to the 1:55.4 mile. From the Breeders Crown-winning Reflect With Me, the winner was a $337,838 Lexington purchase by David Cohen’s Micki Rae Stables LLC from breeder Brittany Farms.
Dunn threaded through a small opening late to get Show Me Your Ace up in the shadow of the wire for a 1:56.4 win, home in :27.1 over Up In Place (Todd McCarthy) and a host of others. Chris Ryder trains and owns the American Ideal colt, a $202,703 Lexington yearling, with Anne Demers, Lawrence Minowitz and Ake Svanstedt. In The Dark Racing LLC is the breeder.
Panther Hill (Dunn) wrapped it up the day’s fastest when he tracked down pacesetting Treacherous (Zeron) late to get the 1:53.1 win. Ryder again trains the Stay Hungry colt, a Tom Hill homebred.
Before the baby races, The Meadowlands contested a quartet of qualifiers for racehorses three and up. Winners included Woman Of Passion 1:53.3) and Lady Landia (1:54.1) on the trot, with Miki And Minnie (1:53.2) and De La Hoya Hanover (1:51.4) prevailing on the pace — the latter holding off an unstressed Louprint in a prep for next weekend's Meadowlands Pace.
Live harness racing tonight (July 4) at The Meadowlands features seven divisions of the opening leg of the Kindergarten Series. The Saturday (July 5) card features the Graduate Series finals, customer appreciation night prices, and fireworks. Free programs are available at The Meadowlands' website.
(with files from The Meadowlands)