The Meadowlands
– Breakfast With The Babies, Pace Day edition, began at 9:30 a.m. on a
windless, muggy morning with the temperature at 72 degrees.
Making his first
public appearance a winning one this morning was Tactical Landing, the colt
trotter who gained notice when it took a bid of $800,000 at the Lexington
Selected Yearling Sale by his eponymous ownership group to buy him. Trainer
Bobby Stewart has brought the physically imposing Muscle Hill brother to the
great Mission Brief along purposefully with late season stakes the target and
Hall of Famer Brian Sears handled him with care in his debut. The pair settled
third early and sat in past the 1:32 three panels where Sears moved Tactical
Landing to the outside, the colt responded by trotting strongly through the
stretch in 28 seconds. Finishing second in a quality effort after setting all
the fractions was Treasure Staff, who was catch driven by Jimmy Takter for
trainer Ron Gurfein in an meld of Hall of Fame trotting minds. One can’t help
but wonder if Takter had any post-race advice for Gurf.
Trotting fillies
kicked off the nine two-year-old races with Deschanel, a homebred Yankee
Glide sister to D’Orsay and half-sister to International star Propulsion,
winning in 1:58.2 for Dave Miller. Settled in third through the 1:29.3 three
quarters, Deschanel rolled by Lindy On Tap (Domenico Cecere) when shown
racetrack through the stretch. It made for a good day for her trainer Bobby
Stewart who conditions the filly for Fredericka Caldwell and
Bluestone Farms.
Aperfectruby won
the second race in 1:58.3 converting a perfect trip from driver Scott Zeron for
trainer Ron Burke. After a pair of unsuccessful tries at Harrah’s the $65,000
Lexington Sale purchase by Burke, Melillo, Silva, Purnel, Libby, Weaver &
Bruscemi looked safe today and edged by mile-cutter Glide Onin Sabrina (Jan
Johnson) late.
Jimmy Marohn, Jr
picked up the drive on Linda Toscano’s Chapter Seven colt Helpisontheway and
took advantage of the opportunity by mowing down the field from far back in a
well-timed move. Southwind Camo (Scott Zeron) set the fractions as Maron sat
patiently near the back waiting to launch Helpisontheway and when he did the
colt responded beautifully through the 29.4 end to the 1:59.2 mile.
Lindyinoverdrive also rallied well late for Domenico Cecere but couldn’t stall
the winner’s bid. Toscano shares ownership of the colt as Camelot Farms with
The Bay Stable.
Lindy’s Big Bang
(David Miller) and Make It a Double (Julie Miller) battled right to the wire in
a 1:58.4 mile and could not be separated by the camera finishing in a dead heat
for win. Both were in close attendance as Prince William (Zeron) cut the mile
until head-stretch when Make It A Double went by from the pocket and Lindy’s Big
Bang closed up the inside for the tie. Lindy’s Big Bang is trained by Nifty
Norman for the partnership of Mel Hartman, Dave McDuffee and the driver who
paid $70,000 for the Explosive Matter colt in Lexington last fall. Make It A
Double ($80,000 LEX-SEL) is trained in the Julie Miller barn for Andy Miller
Stable and Jason & Doug Allen.
Youaremycandygirl
has the championship gene, being an American Ideal first foal of Sweet Lady
Jane who is a Somebeachsomewhere sister to Sweet Lou and Bettor Sweet, enough that
Bill Donovan ponied up a cool $150,000 for her at Harrisburg last fall. Bill
placed her in the Burke barn and she’s been flawless, save for an interference
break in a NYSS at Vernon last week. In her first go over the Big M,
Youaremycandygirl flaunted her speed with a 1:53.2 win pacing home in 27 flat
for Joe Bongiorno. Band Stand (Sears) was in close attendance throughout and
held well for second.
Takter drove the
pacing filly Betterthanbrie to a 1:56 / 28 win, setting all the fractions then
barely holding pocket sitter Odds On Stepahnie (Zeron) at bay. The winner is a
homebred from the first crop of Betterthancheddar raised and raced by Christina
Takter and John Fielding.
A pair of fast
colts finished together in race eight where Bodega Bay finally made it through
that pesky final turn pacing for Scott Zeron and finished his 1:54 mile with a
28.1 final quarter for the win. The winner is a Brittany Farms owned Vintage
Master homebred from the fast Nikki Beach who has evidenced high speed in his
previous starts, if trainer Tony Alagna has solved the puzzle he’ll be heard
from this summer. I’m A Big Deal (Sears) wove his way through traffic to be a
closing second. That one was a high dollar buy for trainer Chris
Ryder and shows great promise as well.
Takter closed out
the baby races with a front running 1:55.4 win aboard Thinkbig Dreambig in
that Bettors Delight colt’s first start. He was driven out to hold off the
close Pecorino (Sears) from the pocket in a 27.3 final quarter. Thinkbig
Dreambig was a $180,000 Lexington but for Brixton Medical, Fielding, Anderberg
and Falk.
QUALIFIERS
Princess Aurora (Takter) and
International Money (Zeron) went to the wire in tandem with the Princess
prevailing in 1:53.3, final quarter in 27.4 this morning. Connections for both
have made Hambletonian Day on August 5 the target date for this pair.
Takter wrapped the day up by winning
in 1:56 with his returning 2015 Hambletonian winner Pinkman. After a long
layoff, Pinkman is in the midst a gradual return to top form.
Tonight is Meadowlands Pace
night with the signature race of the "Championship Meet" and all
that comes with it.
