Meadowlands Media Relations Department
East Rutherford, NJ – The Meadowlands Pace Day edition of Breakfast With The Babies got
underway on a sloppy track for the first time all summer. A light breeze from
the east dried the track as the day wore on and temperatures held in the 70’s.
The day began with the
Bee A Magician team, driver Dave Miller and trainer Nifty Norman, sending out
first-timer Loveable Grace and having her return with a 1:59.3 mark. The
Donato Hanover lass, a $37,000 Harrisburg yearling buy for Mel Hartman and
Pinske Stable, led at every call closing it out with a 28.1 final quarter.
Amour Heiress was a good second beaten just a neck in her debut for Jimmy
Takter.
Double Exposure took the
same route for Tim Tetrick and Tony Alagna, a 1:59.3 winner in the second over
Celebrity Eventsy. Another Donato filly in the 2:00 list here, a remarkable
start for the sire this season. Brittany Farms and Mel Hartman are partners on
Double Exposure, a $50,000 Harrisburg grad.
An exceptionally athletic
looking freshman colt trotter named Soderberg was a handy winner in his career
debut for Takter. Settled in the pocket until the final bend, Jimmy tipped
Soderberg from behind Threeupthreedown, gave him a clout to get his attention
and wore down the leader with grim resolution in 2:01.2 / 29.2. The winner is a
Muscle Hill colt purchased by Christina Takter, John & Jim Fielding, RAW
Equine and Bud Hatfield at Harrisburg for $70,000.
Takter came right back
with the diminutive Muscle Hill colt Hillman to with the fourth in 2:00.1.
Brushing to the lead up the backstretch, Hillman held off a battalion of
closers in 29.1 for the win. Mrs. Takter and Brixton Medical own the colt who
was a $40,000 Lexington buy.
John Campbell drove BYOB
to an impressive win for trainer John Butenschoen, going it virtually alone
after the rest of the field broke early on. The SJ’s Caviar colt went legit
numbers and closed the 1:58.4 mile with a 29.3 final panel under quiet
restraint. BYOB is owned by Mike Simons in partnership with Chris Giaccio, Al
Abdala and Don Eccleston who parted with $24,000 to get him at Harrisburg.
Graceful Vision
impressed the panel of experts in attendance this morning, going the mile
of the day in 1:54.2 for driver Marcus and trainer Erv Miller. The Yankee
Cruiser filly cut the mile and drew away on her own to a double-digit score,
the last half in 55.2 and quarter in 27 flat over the off going. She cost Erv
but $11,000 at Harrisburg and his phone will likely be ringing this afternoon.
Sam McSmith was a handy
1:56.2 winner for Scott Zeron and Tony Alagna in the seventh. The homebred
McArdle colt rode along third through until the stretch and went by on his own
when shown racetrack through the 28 flat final panel. Andray Farms and David Miller
have been partners on Sam McSmith since he was foaled.
Trainer Tony Alagna
fielded the entire superfecta in race eight, as was also the case in one of the
pacing colt races last week. This time it was Tom Hill’s eponymous American
Ideal colt, coincidentally a brother to last year’s Meadowlands Pace
winner He’s Watching, coming from just off the pace to win in 1:55.1 / 27.3 for
Tetrick. Cedar Dunes was second, Easy Lover Hanover third and It’s Just Too
Much fourth. Mr Hill purchased the dam of the winner in foal from the Perretti
dispersal of a few years ago.
