East Rutherford, NJ – The first
two-year-olds of the 2016 season were featured in four of the seven races
during Saturday morning’s Meadowlands qualifiers, which got underway at 9:30 on
a fast track under overcast skies with the temperature in the low 70’s and no
wind.
The first was an
abbreviated field of five trotters with Bob Key’s homebred Break The Bank K
filly Amuse’s leading all the way to win in 2:01.3, trotting her final quarter
in :28.1 for trainer/driver Andrew Harris. Checkmate Time (S. Zeron) and
Running Prayer (John Campbell), both owned by Roy Dobbins and trained by Dennis
Laterza, followed her in.
Harris and Key
completed the trotting baby daily double with another homebred named Phi Alpha,
this one by Cantab Hall, setting all the fractions and winning as he pleased
for Andy Miller in 2:02.1 with a :28.1 close. Haloman was second for Ray
Schnittker and Mighty Surf third for the Dobbins/Laterza combo.
Livingthedream
beat five other pacing fillies in 1:59.2, sprinting home in :27.2 comfortably
for the father son duo of Erv and Marcus Miller. She is one of twenty freshman
filly pacers eligible to the 2016 New Jersey Sires Stakes program, nineteen of
those are by her sire If I Can Dream. Donato’s Artist (Yannick Gingras) was w
good second for Paul “Stretch” Jessop and his partners.
The best came in
the fourth and last of the baby races as Ray Schnittker and Charlie Iannazzo’s
homebred Somebeachsomewhere colt Huntsville drew some “Wow’s” from the small
but enthusiastic group in attendance by moving powerfully through the stretch
to win in 1:54.2. Schnittker led the way by the :59.1 half with Summer Side
then released Machiavelli into a :28 third panel. Jordan Stratton fanned
Huntsville off his cover as they straightened up and he cruised by into a :27.1
final quarter well in hand. Western Joe (Gingras) impressed with a solid second
for trainer Chris Choate and Summer Side rallied back well to be third.
Summer Side will
go through the ring as Hip #4 at the Tattersalls Mixed Sale beginning at noon tomorrow.
Broadway Donna
came back for a third qualifier and won again, this time in 1:53.4. Dave Miller
held her in a stalking position as Womans Will clicked through a :58 half and
three-quarters in 1:26 before tipping out and going by that rival under her own
power. Woman’s Will held tenaciously for Andy Miller and Double Exposure (Tim
Tetrick) gained impressively into the :27.4 final quarter to be third. Jimmy
Campbell trains Broadway Donna for the Fashion Farms.
Top rated pacing
colt Travel Playlist made a stop at The Meadowlands for his third qualifier in
anticipation of the upcoming sophomore stakes season. He sat in behind Bettor
Be Steppin through a 1:24.4 three quarters then ripped out of the pocket and
went by willingly for Marcus Miller. The filly Penpal rallied from back to be a
closing second for Pat Lachance and Soulmate Hanover third. The winner is
trained by Erv Miller for Blue Chip Bloodstock, Ron Michelon, Taylor Made
Stable and Fred Hertrich III.
Live racing
resumes tonight at 7:15 with the four $100,000 NJSS Finals and Jersey Fest Food Truck Mash Up.
