Alagna pupils prominent at Breakfast With The Babies

East Rutherford, NJ – Breakfast With The Babies, sponsored by Jules Siegel’s Fashion Farms, got underway on the morning of Saturday, July 1 under near perfect harness racing conditions. Temperatures were in the low 70’s under smoggy skies with virtually no wind.

Before the babies got underway, Voukefalas (Lazarus N, J. Stratton) tuned up for next week’s Meadowlands Pace eliminations by zooming around the oval in 1:50.4, 25.3 for the final quarter with remarkable ease in a qualifier. He is ready.

Tony Alagna had a big day at the races, winning four paces and one trot on the day while Tim Tetrick scored with four impressive filly trotters.

Tony’s top winner on the day was Sundaykindoflove (Captaintreacherous), who drew some “Wows” from the tiny legion of attendees still in attendance when she drug Andy McCarthy around the oval in 1:53.4, home in 26.2 under restraint in race 14. She is a Riverview (Myron & Stephanie Bell) and trainer Alagna, as Alagna Racing and Visionary Breeders homebred.

Tetrick started early with the highest priced yearling sold at auction in 2022, Epoch. The costly filly flashed speed and talent this morning, trotting home in :27.1 while converting a pocket trip into a 1:58 win. Epoch was content to follow Green Fee (Gingras) through reasonable fractions then responded to a bit of coaxing from the driver to edge slowly by that rival to get up by a neck. The price was $725,000 at the Lexington Sale (LEX) for the eponymous Epoch Stable to halter the Chapter Seven filly. The Epoch Stable consists of breeders Ben Schmucker’s Maumee River Stables, John & Martin Schmucker and includes Diamond Creek Racing. Marcus Melander is her trainer.

Tetrick and Melander came right back with Dreaming Of Sydney (Walner), a $200,000 (LEX) filly. The trip was much like the previous race, following the leader then brushing by the leader to win in 2:03. AMG Stable, Kenneth Kjellgren, Heights Stable and Mantorp, LLC own the winner, bred by Kentuckiana Farms and Eddie Gran.

Tetrick and Lucas Wallin combined on a sharp looking filly named Dolce Amara (Muscle Hill) who impressed the crowd this morning with a :27.1 rally to win in 1:56.3 over Walla (Dunn). A Kjell Magne Anderson homebred, Dolce Amara seemed to get lower and longer as she accelerated when asked through the stretch.

Tap Dance (Chapter Seven, Tetrick & Wallin) was a 1:59.2 winner, trotting home determinedly with a :27.2 final quarter to track down Graceful Design (Andy McCarthy) near the wire. Louis Baudron owns Tap Dance as Follow Me Stable, he gave $110,000 in Lexington to buy her from Steve Jones.

Bohemian Hanover (Dexter Dunn) was a winner at first asking for trainer Chris Ryder. Dunn released a rival past the quarter and sat behind slow numbers before a stretch move that propelled the Walner filly to victory in 2:01.1, home in 28 seconds over Mimi (Lucas Wallin). Frederick Schwartz, Joe Sbrocco, Joe Barbera and Steve Wienick & John Fodera’s In The Gym paid $160,000 for the Hanover bred in Lexington. 

Last week’s leading tandem of Baby Racers, Yannick Gingras and Nancy Takter combined for a winner when Magic Hill pounced out of the pocket and edged by the nimble Reggianito (Dave Miller) in a snappy 1:56.4, home in :27.2. A $100,000 (LEX) Muscle Hill colt bred by Mel Hartman and Herb Liverman, he is owned by John Fielding and Morrison Racing. 

Trainer Tony Alagna had his first of the day when he sent out the Canadian import Twin B Showboat (Tactical Landing) to a front stepping 1:59.4, home in :28 for Dexter Dunn this morning. The gelding went along comfortably and sprinted away from his rivals when asked. Longfellow S was trotting well under careful Brian Sears handling in the stretch to nab second. The winner is a Twinbrook Limited homebred.

Scott Zeron directed Custom Fit to a nice 1:59.2 score over Implacable (Muscle Hill, Dunn) in wire-to-wire fashion in the 9th. The colt, trained by Mark Harder for his interest along with Jean Dion’s Racing Team Of America and Deena Frost was bred by Fred Hertrich and went through the Harrisburg sale for $42,000.

When the pacers began it was Captain Albano (Captaintreacherous) flying by four rivals through the stretch to win in 1:54.3 for Todd McCarthy. Sitting last throughout, the colt got rolling wide and paced a :26.2 last quarter on his own to sweep by the field. Noel Daley trains the winner Patricia Stable, Lawrence Thomases, LA Express Stable & Sjoblom Racing who paid $150,000 for the colt at Harrisburg. Fred Hertrich is the breeder.

Alagna and Twin B teamed up again with Twin B Loudacris (Sweet Lou, Dunn) who rallied from a few lengths back in the pocket to track down a gritty Bonesaw (Tetrick) through a 26.3 end to a mile in 1:53.2. One Point Six Racing, Inc is a partner on the colt.

First crop sire Bettor’s Wish had a winner today in Tony Alagna’s homebred colt Better Is Nice (Thatsoveryverynice, A. McCarthy). The lead changed between the winner and Gem Quality (Dunn) near the 1:01 half, then the third quarter was on idle before Better Is Nice fanned out and engaged Gem Quality and the pacing began. The pair eyeballed each right to the wire and it took a :25.4 final quarter for Better Is Nice to get the win. Seth Rosenfeld’s Birman Woods Farm and Pryde Stable are Tony’s partners on the winner.

Tony harnessed his last winner of the day, only because the 2-year-old races ended, when Watching You (He’s Watching) got clear on the inside of Reachingforthemoon to win in 1:53.3. The filly is a Brittany Farms homebred.

Live racing features eight Grand Circuit stakes that include the Reynolds 3-year-old trotting stakes and four Free For All events featuring the finest older horses currently racing. The fun begins tonight at 6:20, get your free programs here.

For complete qualifier results, click here.

by Nick Salvi, for The Meadowlands