Saturday, June 5 signaled the start of the 2021 Breakfast With The Babies two-year-old qualifying sessions, sponsored by Fashion Farms, on a perfect morning at The Meadowlands with the temperature in the low 70’s °F / low 20's °C and virtually no wind. The races began at 9:00 a.m.
King Of The North (Walner - Check Me Out) and driver Mark MacDonald
The first crop of Walner has been well received as winter training reports have been optimistic and today’s performances did nothing to dissuade that opinion. His sons and daughters won five of the seven trotting races on the day. The results suggest a quote by the late, great Ron Gurfein who observed early in the first crop of another great trotting sire of a few generations ago, “You’re going to have to have a Valley Victory to beat a Valley Victory.”
The two-year-olds began with filly trotters and Walner fillies were first and second with Penelope J (Scott Zeron) edging by leader American Beauty (Yannick Gingras) late through the 28-second final quarter of a remarkable 1:56.1 mile, with both only mildly asked for trot late. Manon (Lucas Wallin) was a good third. Linda Toscano trains the winner for Ken Jacobs, who paid $160,000 to breeders KR Breeding and Preferred Equine Marketing for her at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Peyton Hanover (Tim Tetrick) rewarded Jeff Snyder and Four Friends Racing for their $400,000 investment by winning her debut in comfortable fashion in 1:58.4 with her final panel clocked in :27.2. She was held off the early lead and closed beautifully to get up as Moni Heist (Zeron) rallied in tandem through the inside to be second with Pardon My Lindy (Gingras) third. Marcus Melander trains the Muscle Hill lass, who is a Hanover Shoe Farms-bred that sold at the Standardbred Horse Sale.
Another Walner filly impressed in the fourth qualifier as Misswalner Fashion (Tetrick) rallied by the early leaders through her :27.4 end to a 1:56.4 mile. Brickhouse Babe (Mark MacDonald), also by Walner, closed late as well to be second. Jaya Bae (Walner - Mission Brief), the highest priced yearling of 2020 at $725,000, held third after cutting the mile. Jim Campbell trains the winner, a Fashion Farms homebred now owned by Jules Siegel and Judith Peres.
Temporal Hanover (Tetrick) won impressively in 2:01.3, closing to an easy score with a :27.4 final quarter over mile-cutter Fashiononthehill (Dunn) and Ramses (Wallin). A Walner colt that was a relatively inexpensive $55,000 purchase by AMG Stable, Kjellgren, Wahlstedt and Heights Stable at Timonium from breeder Hanover Farms, Temporal Hanover is trained by Marcus Melander.
Tetrick strung four straight together when he drove Wall Of Moni to an effortless come-from-behind win in 1:56.3, home in :27.3. The Walner colt is a Moni Maker Stable homebred from the family of that great mare and is trained by Domenico Cecere. Classic Hill (Brian Sears) was second while Theresnolimit S (M. Melander), from the first crop of Nuncio, held for third.
King Of The North (Mark MacDonald) lived up to his imposing pedigree — by Walner from the champion mare Check Me Out — with an impressive 1:58.2 score from the pocket, home in :27. Chulo (Gingras) cut the mile and gave way grudgingly to be second while Periculum (Melander) came third.
Breeders Ray Schnittker and Steve Jones share ownership of the colt (who went through the Lexington sale for $190,000) with Arden Homestead Stable and Nolamaura Racing.
Pacers began with fillies in the eighth race and Onecrookedleg (A. McCarthy) overcame that name and a bargain price to sprint home in :26 for the win in 1:59.4 over Treacherous Kiss (Gingras) and The Ideal Huntress (Dunn). Trainer Brett Bittle spent a mere $9,000 in Lexington for the Sweet Lou filly and kept her for himself.
Bermuda benefited from a ground-saving Dexter Dunn steer to close up the inside in :27 for a 1:55 score over Lake Dora (Gingras) and Captains Princess (A. McCarthy). The winner is a daughter of Captaintreacherous owned by Diamond Creek Racing, bred by Let It Ride Stables and trained in the Nancy Takter barn.
Captaintreacherous had another winner when Atlas Hanover (A. McCarthy) went pretty much all the way on an easy lead before sprinting home in :26.2 for a 1:56.3 score. Wearinmysixshooter (Gingras) was flying late, :25.4 into the fast last quarter to get up for second with Danger Zone (Todd McCarthy) third. Tony Alagna trains Atlas Hanover for Robert LeBlanc, David Anderson, Ken Jacobs and In The Gym who paid $170,000 at last year’s Standardbred sale. Hanover is the breeder.
First-crop pacing sire Huntsville had his first Meadowlands winner this morning as Foxhunt (T. McCarthy) won a 27-second stretch-long battle over Nautical Hanover (Dunn) for a 1:56 mark. Caviart Scout (Gingras) was a late-rallying third. Foxhunt is the first foal of the good mare Wrangler Magic and was a $75,000 Lexington purchase by Ken Jacobs from breeder Crawford Farms. Trainer Tony Alagna picked up his second win of the day.
The homebred Sweet Lou colt from Economy Terror, Market Based (Gingras) scored from off the pace in 1:55 with a strong close to get up over Captaingiddyupngo (Dunn) after pacesetting Colby Jack went offstride in the stretch. Nancy Takter trains Market Based for Chuck Pompey, Howard Taylor and Edwin Gold.
The Meadowlands is in big business today with the Belmont Stakes on simulcast and the Graduate series for both trotters and pacers headling the live card. First post is 6:20 p.m. To view the results from the Saturday qualifying session at The Meadowlands, click the following link: Saturday Qualifiers - The Meadowlands (Qualifiers).
(Meadowlands)