The Friday morning (April 7) qualifiers at The Meadowlands were headlined by familiar names that have had significant careers thus far in harness racing and Nancy Takter trainees were the ones that frequented the top of the charts.
Keg Stand opened the qualifying card with a wire-to-wire performance in 1:52.3. Yannick Gingras left alertly with Keg Stand, grabbing the early lead. Keg Stand continued through panels in :28.3, :57 and 1:25.2 before crossing the wire a length in front of 2021 O'Brien Award finalist Its Academic (David Miller). Takter trainee Pretender (Josert Fonseca) rounded out the top three.
Keg Stand is a four-year-old son of Bar Hopping and the Angus Hall mare Palm Beach Bi. Nancy Takter trains the winner of $370,502 for owners Black Horse Racing, Christina Takter and John Fielding. In his career, Keg Stand has had five wins, four seconds and three thirds in 23 starts with notable accomplishments in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) in his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
In the second race, Scott Zeron was back in the bike with Treacherous Dragon for trainer Nancy Takter. Niki Hill and Dexter Dunn were the first to the front in the field of seven with Treacherous Dragon taking the pocket trip through fractions of :29.3, :58.4 and 1:26.3. As they came down the stretch, Zeron tipped Treacherous Dragon out and they bested Niki Hill by a nose in 1:53.1. Queen Of Success (Andrew McCarthy) was third.
Hot Lead Farm owns the four-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous. Treacherous Dragon has made many noteworthy performances throughout her career with her most significant as victories in the $400,000 Fan Hanover, $205,100 Jugette and $810,000 Breeders Crown. With a record of 13-4-4 in 25 starts, Treacherous Dragon has career earnings of $1,172,412.
In the four-year-old horse and gelding qualifier for pacers, Red Right Hand posted a wire-to-wire victory in 1:49.4, the fastest qualifier on the card. Red Right Hand secured the early lead with Scott Zeron as his pilot and never looked back. The pair breezed through the quarter in :28.1 and half in :55.4 before soaring through a back half in :54 (1:22.4 at the three-quarters) to win by 2-1/4 lengths. Andrew McCarthy maneuvered I Did It Myway through the traffic in the stretch to grab second and Early Action (David Miller) was third.
Red Right Hand gave Nancy Takter her third win on the qualifying card. Christina Takter, Nancy Takter & Jaf Racing, Joe Sbrocco and R A W Equine Inc. co-own the five-year-old Captaintreacherous-Preppy Party Girl son. Red Right Hand is a winner of $322,473 with 14 wins, eight seconds and nine thirds in 52 career starts.
Takter sent out Tactical Approach as her fourth training victory on the card. Tactical Approach was driven wire-to-wire through fractions of :29.3, :57.4 and 1:25.3 before crossing the wire 2-1/2 lengths in front in 1:53.1. Josert Fonseca drove the three-year-old son of Tactical Landing to his triumph over Herodotus (David Miller) in second and Saint Louie (Ake Svanstedt) in third.
Tactical Approach is owned by Robert Leblanc, John Fielding and Joe Sbrocco & Jaf Racing. The sophomore colt only had five starts in his freshman campaign and collected two wins to go along with $36,500 in earnings.
Three-year-old son of Betting Line and the Art Major mare Just Fine, Just Bet It All, was led to victory in his qualifier by Tim Tetrick. Tetrick eased Just Bet It All into third behind Fendi Hanover (David Miller) and Write Me A Rose (Dexter Dunn). The field remained single file through the quarter in :29.1 and half in :57.1. As they reached the three-quarters in 1:25.2, Tetrick moved Just Bet It All first over. The pair advanced down the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.2 over Command (Todd McCarthy) and Fendi Hanover (David Miller).
Just Bet It All is trained by Per Engblom for Zippett Racing Stable, Evan Katz and Amos Lengacher. In seven starts as a freshman, the gelding pacer had three wins, one second and two thirds with a career best in 1:51.3 after winning the Simpson at Harrah's Philadelphia.