There was no shortage of star power during the session of qualifiers on Saturday, April 27 at The Meadowlands.
An 18-dash slate featured returning stars aplenty, including world champions and divisional leaders from both gaits.
After one of the best rookie seasons in harness racing history, trotting colt Karl made his first appearance of 2024 in a charted mile and the winterbook favourite for the Hambletonian didn't disappoint.
With regular pilot Yannick Gingras at the controls, Karl made his way to the top in his first test of the year in the fourth qualifier of the morning. After a tepid tempo to :28.4 and :58 to start the mile, Karl clamped it down during the back half. Trotting those final 804 metres in a snappy :54.1, Karl won for fun with the timer tripped in 1:52.1.
Karl (Tactical Landing - Avalicious) is trained by Nancy Takter for Christina And Nancy Takter and Black Horse Racing of New Jersey, Crawford Farms Racing of New York and Bender Sweden Inc. of Florida. The 2023 Dan Patch Award winner has only tasted defeat once — by the scantest of noses — in 10 starts with a bankroll exceeding $1.04 million.
Granted, these are just qualifying miles so mile times should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, Karl won a Breeders Crown final in 2023. The winner of the Breeders Crown final for two-year-old pacing colts in 2023 was Gem Quality. That colt was also in action for the first time in 2024, and he was also a winner on Saturday morning in a time of 1:52.1.
In the 14th qualifier, Booming Economy (David Miller) set the pace with panels of :27.4, :57.3 and 1:26.3 as Mirage Hanover (Tim Tetrick) and Gem Quality (Dexter Dunn) followed in behind. When those three pacers hit the stretch, Mirage Hanover and Gem Quality were both asked to accelerate. Mirage Hanover muscled his way past Booming Economy but then Gem Quality geared up to get his nose on the wire first.
Trained by Chris Ryder, Gem Quality (Captain Crunch - Twinkle) won four of eight starts last year and finished in top trio six times for Ontario's Brad Grant, Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing and Enviro Stables Ltd. of Florida. He took his mark of 1:50 in the Breeders Crown, lifting his lifetime bankroll to $442,710.
Its My Show looked sensational in his four-year-old debut a week ago, and it's not outlandish to state he looked even better this week. Save America (David Miller) set the tempo in this one, with Scott Zeron settling Its My Show into a pocket trip through splits of :26.3, :56 and 1:23.3. When Zeron showed his charge racetrack, Its My Show understood the assignment and easily paced away from his rivals. Full marks to Save America for trying to stay with him, but Its My Show had too much go and stopped the clock in a sizzling 1:49.3. Save America stayed for second, with a debuting Bythemissal under tight lines in third for driver Yannick Gingras.
Linda Toscano trains world record holder Its My Show (Sweet Lou - Put On A Show), a winner of more than $1.26 million, for Florida-based owners Richard & Joanne Young. The gelding sports a mark of 1:46.4 taken last year at The Red Mile.
Moment Is Here is a likely foe for Its My Show in the four-year-old ranks this year, and the 2023 O'Brien Award finalist tightened up for his connections in the final dash of the session.
Fulton (Zeron) cut the mile, with Moment Is Here (Tim Tetrick) following along purposefully in the pocket. After fractions of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:25.3, Tetrick tugged the right line to angle Moment Is Here from the two hole. Fulton couldn't stay with Moment Is Here, whose :26 final quarter provided a 1:51.4 mile. Fulton was next best, followed by a debuting and hard-closing Twin B Joe Fresh in third.
Moment Is Here (All Bets Off - Breathtacular) is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Pennsylvania, Jersey native Frank Baldachino and Lombardo / Green Racing of Ohio. The eight-time winner with more than $762,000 in earnings took his mark of 1:49 last May at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada; photo features Karl [Amanda Stephens photo], Gem Quality [Dean Gillette photo], Moment Is Here [Conrad Photo] and Its My Show [New Image Media])