Meadowlands: 2YO's continue their lessons at Breakfast With The Babies

Saturday's Breakfast With The Babies at the Meadowlands came on an overcast, dry and comparatively cool morning, with a helping breeze at the back of the babies through the stretch. The track, she was fast.

Don't Ask For More was a handy winner for Ake Svanstedt, inheriting the lead when Hatfield broke, easing though medium fractions, then sprinting home in 27 seconds to hold off an impressive late rally from Go Boom (Dexter Dunn / Marcus Melander) to win his second try in 1:59. The winner is a son of Walner bred by Moni Maker Stable, from the family of that great mare, who sold for $240,000 (LEX) to the partnership of Svanstedt, Nils Munkhaugen and Barry Carter.

Ake came right back with a Six Pack colt he owns alone named Camera Man who took over past the 31 4/5 quarter, set easy fractions, then sprinted home in 27 3/5 to hold off the spirited late bid of Grande Via (Dunn / Andrew Harris) for the 1:58 2/5 win. Camera Man was a $16,000 (LEX) bargain, bred by Glengate Farms of Canada.

It was then hat trick time for Ake with Getastarfromthesky as he again inherited the top after a break by Sparkling Volo, eased by the half in 1:00 3/5 and three-quarters in 1:30, then tacked on a 27 3/5 end to the 1:57 3/5 mile under no urging. Mountcastle (Scott Zeron / Melander) trotted home sharply and was gaining quickly on the winner through the fast final fraction. Getastarfromthesky is a Muscle Hill homebred for Stroy Inc. from their accomplished stakes-winning Seviyorum.

Todd McCarthy and Noel Daley combined for a win with Kenny Jacobs's nice-looking Bar Hopping colt, Jeffery J. On the lead from the word go, Jeffery J was a cool customer throughout friendly fractions of a 1:02 half and 1:31 4/5 three-quarters, then put up a fast 27 second final quarter to hold sway over pocket-sitter Renewable (Sarah Svanstedt / Ake) in 1:58 4/5. Bred by Al Libfeld, Jeffery J was a $175,000 Harrisburg yearling.

Race five was an interesting one, as several had good late trot. Get It All (Dunn / Melander) was the 1:58 1/5 winner with Xalapa (Tim Tetrick / Lucas Wallin) right with her for second as Conversano (T. McCarthy) and View From Above (Svanstedt) were also flying late through the 27 4/5 official last quarter. The winner, a son of Muscle Hill, sold for $250,000 (LEX) to Brixton Medical, Marvin Katz and Hatfield Stables. Mr. Katz also has a breeder credit in partnership with Al Libfeld.

Swoop won race six for the Tim Tetrick – Lucas Wallin combo, sitting in behind Beautiful Sight (Svanstedt) past the 1:31 1/5 three-quarters, then sliding through on the inside as Spicy Nice (Yannick Gingras / Nancy Takter) rallied to the outside during the 27 1/5 end to a mile in 1:58 2/5. Wallin Racing, Sbrocco & JAF Racing, Harbor Racing and Van Camp Trotting Corp. own the Walner filly. She was bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew and brought a winning bid of $80,000 at Harrisburg last fall.

Jimmy Takter has been picking his spots in the baby races, driving here and there for daughter Nancy. Today, Jimmy picked Deja Blu, the Muscle Hill first foal of the great Atlanta, and sent her right to the front through 30 second splits until the last one, which was covered in a remarkable 26 3/5 for the 1:56 3/5 win. Deja Blu demonstrated some of her mom's grit, digging in through the stretch to hold off the serious close of the $535,000 Gimpanzee filly Voguish (Gingras / Harris). Michelle Crawford owns and bred the filly as Crawford Farms, Tom Pontone is a partner on her and both Brad Grant and Howard Taylor get breeder credits.

Caviart Adele (Gingras / Takter) converted a two-hole ride into an unhurried 1:59 1/5 / 27 1/5 last quarter victory this morning. Steppin Tall (Tetrick / Jim Campbell) was a closing second in her first foray and Hangover had some good late trot for Sarah Svanstedt. Crawford Farms gets another breeding credit here on the $260,000 (LEX) Chapter Seven filly and owns her in partnership with Caviart Farms.

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The great pacing mare Pure Country has produced a sharp-looking colt named Fusion, the result of a mating with Always B Miki. Making his first start today, Fusion gave a glimpse of prodigious talent with a furious wide burst through a 25 4/5 final panel of the 1:58 3/5 mile to zoom by Furnaux (Pat & Chris Ryder) for the win. Breeder Diamond Creek Farm kept the colt and entrusted his care to Nancy Takter. Yannick Gingras drove the winner.

Anibal Boras drove Knockout Round to a 1:55 3/5 / 26 3/5 last quarter win for trainer Tony Alagna. The quarter leader, Boras turned American Son (Dunn / Ryder) loose to set middle fractions, then popped out when they straightened up for home and was going by late when American Son broke on the wire. The winner is a son of Sweet Lou, bred by Farhi Standardbreds and sold in Lexington to Micki Rae Stables and Tim Twaddle for $95,000.

Chief Bogo (Zeron / Per Engblom) was a first-over 1:56 / 27 second last quarter winner, pouncing on a dead-game Floor It Freddie (Stacy Chiodo) to put his head up on the wire. Bogo Stable paid $45,000 (HBG) for the winner, a son of Always B Miki, from breeder Princeton Farms Inc.

Fallout (Tetrick / Alagna) was an impressive 1:54 1/5, home in 27 flat winner over stablemate Quote Me Not N (Todd McCarthy), who was going forward at the end. A Brittany bred, the son of Captaintreacherous was a $250,000 (LEX) buy for Rob Leblanc, Pryde Stables Inc. and Caviart Farms.

Takter and Gingras struck again with the Sweet Lou filly My Sweet Lily from the pocket to win in 1:56 4/5, home in 26 1/5, to hold off the close of Treacheryinthedark (Dunn / Harris) and Caviart Rose (T. McCarthy / Alagna). Bred by Burke Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, et al., My Sweet Lily was bought by Marvin & Lynn Katz, along with Caviart Farms, for $130,000 at the Harrisburg sale.

Flossy Hill (Dunn / Ryder) lived up to advance billing as the blue-bred daughter of Tall Dark Stranger and the wonderful stakes-winning Party Girl Hill, who was raced by all of the same connections, including breeder / owner Tom Hill. Held off the early pace by Dunn, the filly followed up on the leaders on the final bend and went by on her own through a 26 2/5 end to the 1:55 3/5 mile in her Meadowlands debut. Millie May Hanover (Tetrick / Harris) followed the winner and was pacing forward late for second.

Lily White Hanover (T. McCarthy / A. Harris) ended the day's 2-year-old races on a winning note for owners Bill Pollock, Bruce Areman and trainer Andrew Harris when she came home 26 2/5 to finish the 1:55 1/5 mile over the late rally of Caviart Delight (Andy McCarthy / Alagna). The Hanover-bred Captaintreacherous filly was a $350,000 Harrisburg buy.

Older horses to win qualifiers included New Jersey Sire Stakes champion 3-year-old trotting filly French Champage (Tetrick/Svanstedt) on the front-end in 1:54 3/5 and Roses Are Red third-place finisher Always B Naughty on the engine in 1:51 1/5 for Andy McCarthy and Nancy Takter.

Live racing tonight at the Meadowlands is a stakes-laden card that includes several top class stakes for older horses and the Reynolds stakes, a Hambletonian prep that will showcase top prospects Karl and T C I. Post time is 6:20 p.m.

--press release (Meadowlands)--