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The Meadowlands – June 1st brings with it the promise of summer and the start of 2-year-old harness racing. This morning’s qualifiers offered the first of those as we prepare for next week’s start of Breakfast of the Babies.
A perfect weather day with the temperature around 70f, a fast track and no wind.
Today there were just four short fields of 2-year-olds on the bill along with six qualifiers.
Ray Schnittker dominated the opener, the result of having the only two starters in the trot. He set the fractions with the Greenshoe filly, She’s A Shoe In, ending the 2:01.2 with a 29.2 quarter to hold off Karinchak (Mark MacDonald) in a photo.
The winner was bred by Steve Jones and sold at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale (LEX) for $65,000. Schnittker owns the filly with Grozcona Racing Stable.
SHE’S A SHOE IN REPLAY
Trainer Bruce Saunders sent out a sharp looking son of first crop New Jersey sire Cattlewash named Manolete (Tim Tetrick) to win the second race. Tetrick followed his only opponent, Holt Hanover (MacDonald) around through slow fractions then brushed by when the leader drifted late through a :27.4 end to the 1:58.1 mile.
Manolete was a $52,000 Harrisburg buy for two long-time owners of Saunders, M&L of Delaware and M&M Racing. He was bred by the OK Corral.
MANOLETE REPLAY
A pair of Bulviles (sic), a reporter’s nightmare, took on a single Schnittker entry in the 3rd race for filly pacers. Tim Tetrick sat third throughout Bulvilhighonmaggie as entry-mate Bulvilsgotnopigeon (Scott Zeron) set sensible fractions then outsprinted her two rivals to get the win in 2:00.1. On Cloud Wine (MacDonald) split the Bulvils to be second.
Steve Crevani bred, owns and trains the winner, a daughter of American Ideal.
BULVILHIGHONMAGGIE REPLAY
Crevani came right back twin Bulvillkidunotedna who led all the way for Zeron, holding off Cervi (MacDonald) through a :28.1 end to the day’s fastest 1:57.2. The winner is another daughter of top NY sire American Ideal.
BULVILLKIDUNOTEDNA REPLAY
The older horses featured a matchup of last season’s Dan Patch It’s Academic led throughout for Dave Miller but could not withstand the close of 4-year-old Winner’s Bet who charged by through the :26.3 end to the 1:51.3 mile under no urging from Dexter Dunn.
My Girl EJ was put through a public workout by Dexter Dunn, the Breeders Crown winner sprinting home in :26 flat to close out a 1:52.3 mile off by herself.
Dexter strung three with Stonebridge Helios demonstrated that he can catch birds as he set all the pace and sprinted home in the grips to finish the 1:51.3 mile with All About The Hunt (Patrick Ryder) sticking pretty much with him right to the wire.
Live racing resumes tonight at 6:10pm. Free programs are always available from the website.
by Nick Salvi, for The Meadowlands
