East Rutherford, NJ – Breakfast With The Babies at The Meadowlands came on an overcast, dry and comparatively cool morning with a helping breeze at the back of the babies through the stretch. The harness racing track was fast.
Don’t Ask For More was a handy winner for Ake Svanstedt, inheriting the lead when Hatfield broke, easing though medium fractions then sprinting home in 27 seconds to hold off an impressive late rally from Go Boom (Dexter Dunn / Marcus Melander) to win his second try in 1:59.
The winner is a son of Walner bred by Moni Maker Stable, from the family of that great mare, who sold for $240,000 (LEX) to the partnership of Svanstedt, Nils Munkhaugen and Barry Carter.
Ake come right back with a Six Pack colt he owns alone named Camera Man who took over past the :31.4 quarter, set easy fractions then sprinted home in :27.3 to hold off the spirited late bid of Grande Via (Dunn / Andrew Harris) for the 1:58.2 win. Camera Man was a $16,000 (LEX) bargain, bred by Glengate Farms of Canada.
Natural hat trick time for Ake driving Getastarfromthesky when he again inherited the top after a break by Sparkling Volo, eased by the half in 1:00.3, three quarters in 1:30 then tacked on a :27.3 end to the 1:57.3 mile under no urging. Mountcastle (Scott Zeron / Melander) trotted home sharply and was gaining quickly on the winner through the fast final fraction. Getastarfromthesky is a Muscle Hill homebred for Story, INC from their accomplished stakes winning Seviyorum.
GETASTARFROMTHESKY REPLAY
Todd McCarthy and Noel Daley combined for a win with Kenny Jacobs’ nice looking Bar Hopping colt, Jeffrey J. On the lead from the word go, Jeffrey J was a cool customer throughout friendly fractions of a 1:02 half then a fast :27 quarter to hold sway over pocket sitter Renewable (Sarah Svanstedt / Ake) in 1:58.4. Bred by Al Libfeld, Jeffrey J was a $175,000 Harrisburg yearling.
Race five was an interesting one, as several had good late trot. Get It All (Dunn / Melander) was the 1:58.1 winner with Xalapa (Tim Tetrick / Lucas Wallin) right with her for second as Conversano (T. McCarthy) and View From Above (Svanstedt) were also flying late through the :27.4 official last quarter. The winner, a son of Muscle Hill, sold for $250,000 (LEX) to Brixton Medical, Marvin Katz and Bud & Kelly Hatfield Stables. Mr. Katz also has a breeder credit in partnership with Al Libfeld.
GET IT ALL REPLAY
Swoop won race six for the Tim Tetrick – Lucas Wallin combo, sitting in behind Beautiful Sight (Svanstedt) past the 1:31.1 three quarters then sliding through on the inside as Spicy Nice (Yannick Gingras / Nancy Takter) rallied to the outside during the :27.1 end to a mile in 1:58.2. Wallin Racing, Sbrocco & JAF Racing, Harbor Racing and Van Camp Trotting Corp. The Walner filly, bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew, brought a winning bid of $80,000 at Harrisburg last fall.
Jimmy Takter has been picking his spots in the baby races, driving here and there for daughter Nancy. Today, Jimmy picked Deja Blu, the Muscle Hill first foal of the great Atlanta, and sent her right to the front through 30 second splits until the last one, which was covered in a remarkable :26.3 for the 1:56.3 win. Deja Blu demonstrated some of her mom’s grit, digging in through the stretch to hold off the serious close of the $535,000 Gimpanzee filly Vougish (Gingras / Harris).
The winner is co-owned by Al and Michelle Crawford as Crawford Farms Racing in partnership with Tom Pontone while the breeders are Crawford Farms Racing along with Brad Grant and Howard Taylor.
DEJA BLU REPLAY
Caviart Adele (Gingras / Takter) converted a two hole ride into an unhurried 1:59.1 / :27.1 victory this morning. Steppin Tall (Tetrick / Jim Campbell) was a closing second in her first foray and Hangover had some good late trot for Sarah Svanstedt. Crawford Farms gets another breeding credit here on the $260,000 (LEX) Chapter Seven filly and owns her in partnership with Caviart Farms.
The great pacing mare Pure Country has produced a sharp looking colt named Fusion, the result of a mating with Always B Miki. Making his first start today, Fusion gave a glimpse of prodigious talent with a furious wide burst through a :25.4 final panel of the 1:58.3 mile to zoom by Furnaux (Pat & Chris Ryder) for the win. Breeder Diamond Creek Farm kept the colt and entrusted his care to Nancy Takter. Yannick Gingras drove the winner.
Anibal Boras drove Knockout Round to a 1:55.3 / :26.3 win for trainer Tony Alagna. The quarter leader, Boras turned American Son (Dunn / Ryder) loose to set middle fractions then popped out when they straightened up for home and was going by late when that rival broke on the wire. The winner is a son of Sweet Lou, bred by Farhi Standardbreds and sold in Lexington to Micki Rae Stables and Tim Twaddle for $95,000.
KNOCKOUT ROUND REPLAY
Chief Bogo (Zeron / Per Engblom) was an off the pace 1:56 / :27 winner, pouncing on a dead game Floor It Freddie (Stacy Chiodo) to put his head up on the wire. Bogo Stable paid $45,000 (HBG) for the winner, a son of Always B Miki, from breeder Princeton Farms, INC.
Fallout (Tetrick / Alagna) was an impressive 1:54.1 home in 27 flat winner over stablemate Quote Me Not N (Todd McCarthy) who was going forward at the end. A Brittany bred, the son of Captaintreacherous was a $250,000 (LEX) buy for Rob Leblanc, Pryde Stables, INC and Caviart Farms.
Takter and Gingras struck again with the Sweet Lou filly My Sweet Lily from just off the pace to win in 1:56.4, home in :26.1 to hold off the close of Treacheryinthedark (Dunn / Harris) and Caviart Rose (T. McCarthy / Alagna). Bred by Burke Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, et al, My Sweet Lily was bought by Marvin & Lynn Katz along with Caviart Farms for $130,000 at the Harrisburg sale.
MY SWEET LILY REPLAY
Flossy Hill (Dunn / Ryder) lived up to advance billing as the blue bred daughter of Tall Dark Stranger and the wonderful stakes winning Party Girl Hill who was raced by all of the same connections including breeder / owner Tom Hill. Held off the early pace by Dunn, the filly followed up on the leaders on the final bend and went by on her own through a :26.2 end to the 1:55.3 mile in her Meadowlands debut. Millie May Hanover (Tetrick / Harris) followed the winner and was pacing forward late for second.
Lily White Hanover (T. McCarthy / A. Harris) ended the day’s 2-year-old races on a winning note for owners Bill Pollock, Bruce Areman and trainer Andrew Harris when she came home :26.2 to finish the 1:55.1 mile over the late rally of Caviart Delight (Andy McCarthy / Alagna). The Hanover bred Captaintreacherous filly was a $350,000 Harrisburg buy.
LILY WHITE HANOVER REPLAY
Live racing tonight at The Meadowlands is a stakes laden card that includes several top-class stakes for older horses and the Reynolds stakes, a Hambletonian prep that will showcase top prospects Karl and TCI. Post time is 6:20pm. Get your free programs here.
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
by Nick Salvi, for The Meadowlands