Meadowlands: Crucial impresses again in baby races

The Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace day edition of Breakfast With The Babies (BWTB) began at 10 A.M. on a perfect morning with a fast track, minimal wind, and the temperature at 75 degrees.

Crucial opened the day with another win, her second in as many attempts, in 1:57 3/5 (28 2/5 final quarter) in-hand to Yannick Gingras. The Father Patrick filly took over as they approached the half in a minute, rated the turn, then sprinted home to score over I’m Really Special (Tim Tetrick) and Hotsprings Volo (Jan Johnson). Ronnie Burke trains the $200,000 Lexington purchase for his interests as Burke Racing, Bill Donovan, Weaver Bruscemi, J&T Silva and Purnell & Libby. Steve Stewart and Maumee River Stables, Black Creek Farm, and Martin Schmucker bred the impressive filly.

Paul Kelley sent out a winner this morning in Cover Girl (Scott Zeron), a Muscle Hill out of the Grand Circuit stakes winning To Dream On. Zeron moved her to the lead past the quarter, rated fairly, and held off the challenges of Fashion Charmer (Dexter Dunn) to the outside and Winter Olympics (Ake Svanstedt) to the inside for the 1:59 1/5 win. Cover Girl is owned by the trainer along with TLP Stable, SRF Stable, and L. Thomases and was bred by Katz Libfeld & Goldband who sold her in Lexington for $70,000.

Ready For Moni (Gingras) won right back in 1:57 2/5 (29 second last quarter) from off the rated pace. Placed second-over, the Ready Cash colt fanned off cover and went by willingly to pick up mile-cutter Stay Close (David Miller). Platoon System (Corey Callahan) rallied for third. Fielding, Lindy Farms, Liverman, and Hatfield gave $220,000 for him at Lexington. Moni Market Breeders bred the colt.

Trond Smedshammer drove Bluffinner, a Credit Winner colt out of Bluff, to an easy forwardly-placed 1:58 2/5 (28 3/5 final quarter) romp over Merger Hanover (Tetrick) and Rock Party (Callahan). Purple Haze Stable gave $40,000 for the colt at Harrisburg and the breeder is Fair Winds Farm.

Papi Rob Hanover (David Miller) was a winner in 1:55 2/5 for trainer Brett Pelling and owner Dave McDuffee, a pair that have enjoyed great success together over the years. Papi Rob Hanover took over in the lane, then won as he pleased over a charging What The Luck (Matt Krueger). The Hanover-bred Somebeachsomewhere colt brought $130,000 at Harrisburg last fall.

Caviart Jane (Zeron) won the last of the baby races in 1:53 3/5. A sick scratch from a Kindergarten Classic split last week, the Captaintreacherous filly was again in-hand while scoring her third baby win in as many tries for trainer Nancy Johansson. Caviart Farms and Christina Takter (looking forward to a big night as partners on Pace favorite Captain Crunch) gave $100,000 for her in Lexington last fall, White Birch Farms bred and consigned the filly.

Armbro Flight runner-up Weslynn Dancer (David Miller / Richie Banca, 1:53 2/5) and Southwind Ozzi (Brian Sears / Bill MacKenzie, 1:51), one of the top 3-year-old male pacers in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes program, won the remaning two qualifiers.

--press release (the Meadowlands)--