by Carol Hodes
MANALAPAN,
NJ – July 10, 2014 – The quartet of $100,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Finals for
two-year-olds are gems in a star-studded 13-race program, including the
Meadowlands Pace, on Saturday night, July 12, 2014 at the Meadowlands
Racetrack.
It
is early in the campaign of these two-year-olds but already some of the
divisional standouts are beginning to emerge.
Among
the trotters – with 10 colts and geldings carded in the first race and seven
fillies in the second race – the Muscles Yankee colt French Laundry has already
distinguished himself with a stakes record equaling 1:56 flat mile two weeks
ago in the first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes.
The
Jimmy Takter trainee, who will be driven by Takter, matched the mark set by
Yankee Glide in 1996. He is rated 5-2 in the morning line, leaving from
the rail.
A
$115,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase, he races for Christina Takter of
East Windsor, NJ and Ontario-based John Fielding, Jim Fielding, Marvin Katz and
Al Libfeld.
The
Takter Stable also sends out Canepa Hanover [2-1 from post three] and Falk On
Hill [15-1 from post nine], both sons of Muscle Hill.
Driven
by Yannick Gingras, Canepa Hanover, the odds on choice in a division of last
week’s second leg, broke stride and finished last after winning a baby race by
nearly 19 lengths in 1:56.1. Guess Whos Back by Muscles Yankee won that
race in 1:57 and will once again be partnered with Brian Sears, leaving from
post five and rated 7-2 in the morning line.
Only
seven fillies will go to the gate in their division, six of which are daughters
of Muscle Hill, including 4-5 favorite Mission Brief and 2-1 second choice
Saturday Mornings.
Mission
Brief, driven by Gingras and trained by Ron Burke, posted a stakes record
1:55.1, winning last week’s second leg by nine and three-quarter lengths over
Saturday Mornings. She eclipsed Act Of Grace [1995] and Southwind Cocoa
[2012] who shared the 1:55.3 New Jersey Sire Stakes record.
A
$150,000 Lexington Selected yearling purchase, she is owned by Burke Racing
Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables, J&T Silva Stable and Weaver Bruscemi.
Saturday
Mornings, driven by David Miller and trained by Joe Holloway, won an opening
round split after Mission Brief broke stride, and was second in their rematch
last week. Owned by Bluestone Farms of Hopewell, NJ, she was a $32,000
Lexington Selected Sale purchase.
The
New Jersey Sire Stakes Finals bracket the card with the pacing colts and
geldings occupying the 11th race and the pacing fillies the final
event on the 13-race card.
In
the colts division, Dealt A Winner by Cam’s Card Shark captured both of his
preliminary leg starts, Artspeak by Western Ideal won his debut appearance last
week and Weapons Dealer, also by Western Ideal, scored two weeks ago.
They are the linesmaker’s top choices.
Dealt
A Winner, driven by Miller and trained by Ed Hart, leaves from post four and is
rated 5-2. A $35,000 Harrisburg yearling owned by Jeffrey Snyder, who
raced his sire, Dealt A Winner won his first start on the front end in 1:52.4
and his second from off the pace in 1:53.4.
Artspeak,
who debuted last week and won by two and a quarter lengths in 1:53.3, is a Tony
Alagna-trainee entrusted to driver Scott Zeron. A $100,000 Lexington
Selected Sale purchase, he is co-owned by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Joe
Sbrocco and the In the Gym Partners. He drew post eight and is 3-1 in the
morning line.
Weapons
Dealer, a 1:54.2 winner, starts from post seven with Brett Miller driving for
trainer Isaac Waxman. He was a $10,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase from the
White Birch Farm consignment for Brenda Waxman and Aaron Waxman. He is
listed at 7-2 in the field of 10.
The
fillies close out the card with nine hopefuls, including Stacia Hanover, 2-1 in
the early line from post six, with Zeron at the lines.
The
Western Ideal filly, trained by Steve Elliott, has won both of her New Jersey
Sire Stakes starts, banking $37,750 for Ohioans David Van Dusen and Michael
Cimaglio, who acquired her for $35,000 at the Harrisburg Sale.
The Saturday night card at the Meadowlands has an early post time
of 6:30 p.m. It features seven Grand Circuit stakes in addition to the
four New Jersey Sires Stakes Finals, with total purses in excess of $2.5
million.
The $776,000 Meadowlands Pace will be broadcast live on the CBS
Sports Network from 9-10 p.m. and the whole card will be featured on the TVG
Network.
