Meadowlands: Alagna bags five more baby races on Saturday morning

Meadowlands Pace morning brought with it another edition of Breakfast With The Babies, sponsored by Jules Siegel's Fashion Farms. It was another overcast, muggy setting to begin, with temperatures hovering near 80 degrees over a track listed fast but perhaps, at least at the start of the card, dulled by overnight rains.

Tony Alagna took honors on the day with five winners, led by the imposing presence of the Captaintreacherous filly Sundaykindoflove, who won her second baby race (the trainer's fourth today) for driver Andy McCarthy in 1:54 3/5. After cutting the mile in an eye-catching 1:53 4/5 two weeks ago, McCarthy settled Sundaykindoflove in third as first Genie Hanover and then Moonlight Miki set fair fractions. McCarthy waited until midway through the second turn to tip and be pushed three-wide as he did so, then let the big girl roll home in 27 seconds for the win. Ponynamedwildfire (Tim Tetrick) was exceptional in defeat, closing right with the winner. Sundaykindoflove is owned and was bred by Alagna as Visionary Breeders, along with Stephanie and Myron Bell as Riverview Breeding & Racing.

Glamorous Hanover (Yannick Gingras) won the opener in 1:57 1/5 for Alagna, despite racing greenly on the lead as they neared the 1:00 1/5 half and surrendering that lead to Local Honey (A. McCarthy) mid-race. Gingras corrected her course, let her settle around the second turn, and when he tipped her off cover, the Tactical Landing filly re-rallied gamely with a 28 second final quarter to get the win for Al Crawford's Blue Sky Stables. She was a $180,000 Hanover-bred Harrisburg buy.

Kenny Jacobs laid out $255,000 at the Lexington sale last fall to get the ticket on a Brittany Farms-bred Walner colt who now races as Benny J, and off his first qualifier it looks like money well-spent. The colt dragged Dexter Dunn away from post seven, crossed over immediately, proceeded to set honest fractions, then ended it with a 28 1/5 sprint for the 1:56 2/5 win. Sforza (Gingras), racing with a month between starts, sprinted home well while gaining into the fast last panel with good energy to be second. Benny J was Alagna's second triumph on the day.

Alagna's third winner was the Father Patrick filly Graceful Design, who led all the way for Andy McCarthy to get the 1:58 1/5 win under no urging. Dubai (Tim Tetrick) followed the winner throughout to be second. Graceful Design, owned by Pryde Stables, Bottom Line Racing and Coyote Wynd Farms, was bred by Andrew Shrock and was sold at the Lexington sale for $67,000.

Kissincaptain (Todd McCarthy) was a 1:54 2/5 winner for Alagna, his fifth on the day, after following stablemate Sir John B (A. McCarthy) through the 1:27 1/5 three-quarters, then tipping off that one's cover to scoot by late for the win. The Captaintreacherous colt was bred by Sunset Stables and went through the Lexington sale for $275,000 to Riverview Racing, Marvin & Lynn Katz and Kissincaptain Stable.

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The Six Pack colt Town Branch (Patrick Ryder) rallied from well back to get up comfortably in the final strides for a 1:57 3/5 win in his first outing. Oh Brother (A. McCarthy) set a fair pace and led past the 1:27 3/5 three-quarters before giving way, with Lammtarra (D. Dunn) closing it up well late for third. Town Branch is a Carter Duer homebred trained by Chris Ryder.

Andy McCarthy steered Sig Sauer to a 1:57 win, using his inside post to secure position behind leader It Wasn't Me (Gingras) through a 1:29 three panels, then out-gamed that rival narrowly in a stretch-long duel between two very nice colts. Sig Sauer is a Muscle Hill colt bred by Southwind Farms that brought $200,000 in Lexington and is trained in the Noel Daley barn for the interests of Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, JAF Racing, Allister Stable and Caviart Farms.

Lou Vuitton (Gingras) was a winner for the Burke barn in 1:55 4/5, closing from mid-pack to engage My Favorite Dali (Mitch Cushing) and battle that rival right to the wire, up by a head. Bred by Spring Haven Farm, the Sweet Lou colt brought $175,000 in Lexington from Burke Stable, Hatfield Stable, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Larry Karr.

Tarrific (Dunn) roared by Twin B Roulette (M. Cushing) down the stretch through a 27 2/5 end to a 1:58 mile to open the pacing races. The Huntsville sister to Cattlewash is trained in the Ryder barn for owner/breeder Stephen Dye, who has taken on a partner in Let It Ride.

The sharp-looking Sweet Lou colt Lou's World won the last of the schooling races, leading all the way for Todd McCarthy in 1:54 with a 27 2/5 end while under no urging. I'm A Captain closed sharply in 26 4/5 to get up for second. Owned by Gino Toscani and trained in the U.S. by Garry Merner Jr, Lou's World brought $27,000 in Lexington and was bred by Willow Oak Ranch.

There were also five qualifiers for 3-year-olds and up won by:

--Toccoa Falls, a 6-year-old Trixton gelding, in 1:52 3/5 for driver Scott Zeron, trainer Per Engblom and owners Ben Mondello, Enzo Cutaia and Giovanna Parente;

--Gung Ho, a 3-year-old Captaintreacherous colt, in 1:50 1/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., M1 Stable LLC., Elizabeth Jones and Beasty LLC.;

--C Is For Cookie, a 3-year-old Betting Line filly, in 1:53 for driver Scott Zeron, trainer Linda Toscano and owner/breeder Birnam Wood Farms;

-Mommamia Volo, a 3-year-old Tactical Landing filly, in 1:54 3/5 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Carter Pinske and owners/breeders Kentuckiana Farms LLC. and Jorgen Jahre Jr.;

--Itsallaboutfaith N, a 6-year-old Captaintreacherous gelding, in 1:51 2/5 for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Tahnee Camilleri and owner Richard Poilucci.

--edited press release (Meadowlands)--