USA
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Europe
UK / IRE
East Rutherford, NJ – Breakfast With The Babies, “Fantasy Announcer Camp” edition, saw another beautiful summer morning on July 9. The harness racing track was fast and temperatures in the mid-70’s when things got underway at 9:00AM.
A sincere thanks to Jules Siegel for his sponsorship of the event over the past several season under his nom de course of Fashion Farms.
Trainer Tony Alagna had another big day with five winners on the card from seven 2-year-old races.
Stormalong (Stay Hungry, Dexter Dunn) converted a pocket trip into victory with Hungry Angel Boy (T. McCarthy) flying late but falling just short to be second. Captain Batboy (Andy McCarthy) had made the pace through three quarters in 1:25.3, setting up the 26.4 sprint home in the 1:52.2 mile. Stormalong was a $35,000 Harrisburg (SHS) bargain for Brad Grant and Steve Heimbecker, Vieux Carre Farms and Lin Higgins bred the colt.
STORMALONG REPLAY
Caviart Davia (A. McCarthy) laid down even fractions in the fourth and tried to shake the competition with an early stretch sprint, but alas could not withstand the powerful close of stablemate Caviart Marcella (Stay Hungry, Scott Zeron), who went zooming by from well back through the 27.3 end to a 1:54.3 mile. The winner is a Caviart Farms homebred.
CAVIART MARCELLA REPLAY
Alagna colts finished 1-4 in the fifth race. Todd McCarthy put Caviart Stoney on the lead by the 57 half and held sway until Captain Van Gogh (Captaintreacherous, Dunn) and Dupree Hanover (A. McCarthy) came-a-callin as they turned home. Those two dueled through a 26.3 end to the 1:52.1 mile, “Van Gogh” leaving a lasting impression with the win. The colt was a $62,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale (LEX) buy for Pryde Stable, Daniel & Jean Christophe Plouffe, JAF & Gordon Stables. Brittany Farms and Mel Hartman are the breeders.
CAPTAIN VAN GOGH REPLAY
Colt trotters were next, Brian Sears cut the mile with Bullseye Hanover and led until the final strides when Jazz In Jackson (Muscle Hill, T. McCarthy) picked him up through the 28.2 end to the 2:01.3 mile as Talkin’ Bout You (James O’Donnell) closed inside for second. It was another win for the Alagna Armada with Tony owning the colt in partnership with Pryde Stable, Jim Crawford IV and breeder, Coyote Wynd Farm. The winner was a $50,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase.
JAZZ IN JACKSON REPLAY
Race seven saw leader Air Power (Sears) roll off onto a break on the last turn, leaving Take My Name (Dave Miller) in front to duel gamely with but ultimately succumb to Upnaway Blue Chip (Chapter Seven, Yannick Gingras) through the 28.4 end to the 1:58.4 mile. The winner is a Blue Chip Farms bred colt, bought in Lexington last fall for $165,000 by Lindy Farms, Stemberg, Anderson & Rudolph and is trained by Domenico Cecere.
UPNAWAY BLUE CHIP REPLAY
Marcus Melander trainees took turns on the lead with Kayleigh S (Chapter Seven, Sears) releasing Heaven Hanover (Tetrick) through the middle fractions, then tipping off that one’s back to surge by late in the 29 second final quarter for the narrow 1:59.2 win. Kayleigh S, who already boasts a stakes win with a division of the NYSS at Saratoga in June, is a Courant, Inc. homebred sister to the sensational Joviality S.
KAYLEIGH S REPLAY
Baby racing ended with Tony Alaga celebrating his fifth winner of the day with the Father Patrick filly Heart On Fire (Dunn) who converted a perfect trip by closing out her impressive 1:56.3 win with a 28.3 final quarter. Crawford Farms owns the winner, who was bred by Spring Haven Farms and Doug Millard.
HEART ON FIRE REPLAY
The day actually began with a few qualifying races, the first for pacing fillies and mares. Quantity was low with a field of just three, but the quality was very high and Queen Of Success (Andy McCarthy) set all the fractions until the unbeaten current “Queen” of the sophomore crop Treacherous Dragon (Captaintreacherous) slipped out of the pocket mid-stretch and by the leader through the 26.2 final quarter of the 1:52 mile for Tim Tetrick. Hot Mess Express (Dex Dunn) was third. Hot Lead Farm owns, and Nancy Takter trains the winner.
TREACHEROUS DRAGON REPLAY
The second race was another three-horse qualifier featuring North America Cup winner Pebble Beach (Downbytheseaside, Todd McCarthy) who was ineligible for the Meadowlands Pace via the Stallion Restriction Condition. Imaginary Line (Dunn) cut three quarters in 1:25 before McCarthy popped Pebble Beach from the pocket and roared by for the win in 1:51.2. Noel Daley trains the winner for Patricia Stable, Country Club Acres, Sbrocco and Laexpressfoderadeovolente.
PEBBLE BEACH REPLAY
It’s a big night at The Meadowlands with the BBQ Extravaganza, $750,000 Graduate Series finals and Meadowlands Pace eliminations, leading into next Saturday’s “Greatest Party in Harness Racing”.
Get your free full card program here. Post time is 6:20.
For complete qualifier results, click here.
by Nick Salvi, for The Meadowlands
