The weather could not have been nicer for Breakfast With The Babies this morning at Meadowlands Racetrack with sunny skies and gusty winds, the consensus temperature was 77 degrees.
The star of the show wasn’t a two-year-old at the start of their career, but a Hambletonian candidate at the very peak of his powers, the remarkable Trixton. Out for a little leg stretching in a qualifier, Goodtimes Trot champion Trixton went right to the front for trainer/driver Jimmy Takter and waltzed around the oval in 1:53.3 -- his last quarter in :28 flat into a significant wind. He looks ready to battle Father Patrick for the crown in the Stanley Dancer Memorial next Saturday. He is owned by Takter's wife Christina and Brixton Medical Ab.
Perfect Alliance also got some work in this morning, touring the oval in 1:53.3 in preparation for the Miss Versatility leg here next week. She looked sharp with Yannick Gingras aboard for trainer Julie Miller and owners Little E LLC, Jason Settlemoir, Dave Stolz and Art Geiger.
Baby trotters led off the card and a couple of fillies impressed with identical 1:58.1 miles.
The pretty $140,000 Credit Winner Lexington filly Crazy Beautiful took by the :59.4 half then closed with a :28.4 final stanza to hold sway against the closing bid of Nunkeri. Scott Zeron drove and Tony Alagna trains for the Willow Oak Ranch.
Lilu Hanover made a bold move around the final bend and drew clear in a :29 flat final quarter to win for Takter and Gingras in her third qualifier. Owned by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, she was a $130,000 Harrisburg purchase.
Takter later drove the Cantab Hanover-Muscaloosa colt Walter White to a 1:59.4. He was a $57,000 Harrisburg purchase for the interest of Christina Takter, RAW Equine and John and Jim Fielding. Takter pacing pupil Bet You won his third straight non-betting race, this one in 1:57 for Yannick. He’s by Bettors Delight out of Armbro Amoretto purchased in Lexington $75,000 for Christina Takter, the Fieldings and Joyce McClelland.
Trond Smedshammer won a couple, taking the second race with Finish Line, a Yankee Glide gelding from Calchips Finisher in 2:00. He was a $50,000 Lexington purchase by Smedshammers’s American Viking Stable, Diane Giuliano and Purple Haze Stable. Smedshammer won with Crazshana in 2:01.4 a few races later. This one is a Crazed gelding that Purple Haze gave $47,000 at Harrisburg last fall.
Jonas Czernyson sent out a pair of winners, taking the fourth with Aldebaran Eagle in 2:00.3 with Corey Callahan aboard. He’s a $70,000 Muscle Hill from Letsjustalkaboutme that the Aldebaran Stable bought at Harrisburg. Dave Miller drove the Muscle Hill filly Jolene Jolene to a 2:01 victory for Jonas and owner Bill Donovan. She’s out of Celebrity Speedie and was an $87,000 Harrisburg baby.
The pacers started off with the speedy Sportswriter filly, Yellow Mustang, dragging Dave Miller through fast middle splits then holding on in 1:57. Joe Holloway trains the daughter of Best Tussle, a $23,000 Harrisburg yearling buy, for Ted Gewertz and Val D’Or Farms.
The cleverly named Shes A Hot Mess redeemed herself after last week’s miscue by beating a field of colts in 1:58 with a good :29.1 close into a gusting wind for Zeron. She’s an American Ideal homebred from Sure Fun Tryin trained by Tony Alagna, who owns her in partnership with Stephanie and Myron Bell’s Riverview Farms and John Fodera.
Alagna sent out a nice pair of colts in the 14th and Dreams Beachboy impressed, winning at first asking for Zeron in 1:56.2, with a :29 final quarter off a nice pocket trip. He’s a $150,000 Harrisburg Somebeachsomewhere colt from Dream A While, owned by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Stillwater Partners, a Myron Bell production. The Cancelliere brothers unveiled a sharp Rock N Roll Heaven colt named Raylan Givens in this heat, closing to be second and Official Prince (by Art Official) from the Alagna barn was a good third.
The next group also contained some pretty impressive looking colts. The winner was Major War, Shannon DePinto and Kovach Stables' $60,000 Harrisburg purchase by American Ideal from Cantors Daughter. He made a big move on the final turn to get clear and closed out a 1:55.4 mile in :27.4. Dave Miller drove for trainer Sam DePinto. Somekindaparty, Shane Adam and Mohegan Blue Chip all flashed good pace down the stretch into the wind.
Tonight is one of the big ones, Meadowlands Pace elim night. The inaugural Hambletonian Maturity fields 14 of trotting’s finest four-year-olds racing for $484,500 and a spectacular fireworks show after the races. Post time is 6:30 p.m.
(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)