Saturday morning at The Meadowlands was hot...real hot...and another round of baby races began at 10 a.m.
The card began as it has for the past several weeks, with Jimmy Takter winning with a couple of impressive trotting fillies. He is absolutely loaded in that division and a few of the fillies we have been watching in the mornings translated into stakes winners at Pocono Downs last night.
On this day, Red Hot Spicy and Scream And Shout scooted home quickly in miles around 2:00. The former is another impressive Muscle Hill owned by the Order By Stable of Sweden, while the latter is a Muscles Yankee full-sister to Costa Rica ($1,404,244, 1:54.3) owned by the Takter/Fielding partnership.
The foreign-bred Danielle S won in 1:58.1 with a good :28.3 final quarter for young Kevin Oscarsson. She is by Andover Andover and is owned by Kevin's father Jim, also the trainer.
The big dollar yearling talent rolled out for races six through eight with $250,000 Harrisburg Yankee Glide colt Shift Into Glide a winner at first asking in the sixth, just holding off Royal Trickster in 2:03 with a :29.1 final quarter for Ron Pierce. Noel Daley trains for Bill Weaver and Caviart Farms.
Race seven went to the $100,000 Donato Hanover colt Fashion Tagman in 1:57.2 (:28.3 final quarter) for Tim Tetrick. Jimmy Campbell trains him for Fashion Farms.
The top priced colt from last fall, a $360,000 Lexington purchase by Brixton Medical Ab and Mrs. Takter, is a Muscle Hill named Trixton. He won for the third straight time, this one in 1:57.3 (:29-second final quarter) for Takter and Gingras.
Pacing fillies took over with the ninth and Dottie Major (by Art Major) won impressively for Andy Miller. She sprinted home in :27-second finishing a front running 1:53.4 effort, drawing away to an open length victory. Trainer Nick Surick shares ownership with JL Benson Stables.
Act Now (by Western Ideal), a full-sister to 2012 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship winner Authorize ($173,685, 1:51.1), won her very first start for trainer Nik Drennan and owners Joe Davino and Pat O'Brien in 1:56.1, home in 28.1 with Dave Miller aboard.
Always B Miki continues to impress. The Indiana-bred colt trained by Joe Holloway for Roll The Dice Stable took a 1:53.2 speed tab despite a quick skip off turn one for Dave Miller. He sat a pocket and sprinted by with a :27.1 close well in hand.
Thats My Opinion is a Somebeachsomewhere colt that sold for $350,000 as Blister Hanover at Harrisburg. He made his first start this morning and it was an impressive winning effort of 1:57 (:27.2 final quarter) on the lead for Brian Sears. Tony Alagna trains him for a partnership that includes Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Joe Sbrocco and Little E, LLC. The colt's dam, Boldnbrash Hanover, is a half-sister to Big Jim ($1,544,580, 1:49.1).
In the first of a couple of noteworthy qualifiers, the top three-year-old colt Royalty For Life thrust himself right back into the Hambletonian picture with a stunningly easy 1:51.3 geared down, off by himself win with Brian Sears. The colt has had a checkered season thus far, making breaks in stakes, but speed is clearly no issue.
While on the subject of speed, Wishing Stone and Check Me Out hooked up in the next one with the former an open length 1:52.3 (:27-second final quarter) winner over the mare.
Wake Up Peter used a qualifier for his Meadowlands Pace prep and went on a gate-to-wire mission for Ron Pierce in 1:50, with a :27-second final quarter.
To view Saturday's complete qualifying results, click on the following links: Baby Races - Qualifiers.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)