Meadowlands: Freshmen featured in Breakfast With The Babies

Breakfast With The Babies at the Meadowlands finally caught a less than perfect Saturday morning after a late night into early morning deluge, but the track came up great. The skies were clearing, but the humidity was high and temperatures started out around 80 and rose from there. There was no wind.

Castel Lindy, a homebred Walner gelding owned by K R Breeding and trained by Domenico Cecere, took the opener. Dexter Dunn settled Castel Lindy in third early as Michanek (Mattias/Marcus Melander) set solid fractions of 29, 59 and 1:28 2/5 to the stretch when Dunn tipped his charge around the breaking Sinatra and tracked down Michanek late to get the 1:56 3/5 win.

Andy and Julie Miller turned out Kevlar CCL for owner and co-breeder Laura Young (with Emma Young) to take a 1:59 record in his very first try. Andy settled the son of Tactical Landing in fourth throughout the first three-quarters as Double A Dallar (Tony Alagna) set even fractions, tipped out before the top of the stretch and was a determined winner over The Drinker (Scott Zeron / Melander) and General Kronos (Andy McCarthy / Noel Daley), getting his head in front near the end of the 27 4/5 final stanza.

The Gimpanzee colt out of Cover Girl, Blank (Dunn / Melander), impressed with a front-stepping 1:57 3/5 win, sprinting home in 27 4/5 on his own to easily hold off the close of Flightline (Andy/Julie Miller). He's likely off to The Red Mile for KYSS duty for S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East, who gave $150,000 in Lexington last fall from breeder Diamond Creek Farms.

The same connections came right back with another from the first crop of Gimpanzee when the filly Luna Lovegood paraded around the oval in 1:57 2/5, home in 27 3/5 under her own power over the game Sonmar Pond (Zeron / Cecere), who held his own well for second. Holly Lane Stud East owns the winner, a partially homebred $100,000 (LEX) yearling, bred by Blue Chip Farms and Stefan Melander.

Domenico Cecere sent out his second winner of the morning with Moni Multiplier (Zeron), who rallied well between horses late through a 28 second end to the 1:59 2/5 mile. An International Moni homebred for Lindy Farms, the winning filly came through in tandem with Belmont (Dunn / Melander), who was a good second.

Conversano was ultra-impressive this morning, leading all the way for Todd McCarthy to win in 1:55 2/5 and sprinting home in 27 4/5 to hold off Mimosatomartini S (Melander / Melander) and the crisp close of Global Heritage (Dunn / Cecere). Conversano, trained by Juan Cano, is a Hot Lead Farms homebred daughter of the great Muscle Hill from stakes-winning Celebrity Ruth.

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Best Story Ever's first chapter was a success for Andy and Julie Miller this morning, converting a nice two-hole ride into a 1:58 4/5 win, trotting strongly through the stretch in 27 1/5 to go by the tiring leader and win in-hand over Kadena (Dunn / Melander) ,who closed up the inside and Going To Vegas's (Yannick Gingras / Paul Kelley) wide rally. Kentuckiana Farms and Eddie Gran bred the Chapter Seven filly who sold to Wiesman Farms LLC., Andy Miller Stable and Carmen Iannacone for $185,000 in Lexington last fall.

Steamboat Springs was a forwardly-placed 1:56, home in 27 2/5, winner for trainer Joe Bongiorno, taking over just past the quarter to rate an easy middle and kicking home despite drifting late to hold sway over Big Sur Beach (Yannick Gingras / Per Engblom). The winner in a Sweet Lou gelding, sold in Lexington to Jennifer Bongiorno Stable & Barbera Urciuoli&Frank, Sbrocco, JAF and Scott Rau for $135,000 from breeder Vieux Carre.

Welcometotheshow went a good mile for Josert Fonseca when he held off the late rush of Go Go Grasshopper (Bongiorno) in 1:53 2/5, home in 27 1/5. The winner sat third through the early fractions, moved up a space when leader Squeaky Blue (Gingras) went wide erratically on the last turn, then surged past the stubborn Caviart Cash (Anibal Boras / Alagna) on the inside, with Go Go Grasshopper ranging up on the outside. Welcometotheshow, from the first crop of Tall Dark Stranger, was bred by Steve Jones and Maumee River Stables and sold to trainer Nancy Takter, JAF Racing, 3 Brothers Stable, Sbrocco and Martha Frank for $75,000 (LEX).

White Lotus (Gingras / Per Engblom) was super-impressive this morning in his second appearance, coming in off a sparkling 1:53 4/5 effort a fortnight ago with another win, this time in 1:53 flat. Yannick moved White Lotus to the top just past the quarter, reeled off a 57 1/5 middle-half, then tacked on a 26 3/5 kicker under a hold. Its Gonna Feelgood (A. McCarthy / Noel Daley) closed from well back to get up for second. Morrison Racing Stables gave $110,000 (LEX) for the winner, bred by Lindy Farms.

Gingras and Takter struck again with the eponymously-named JK Fancy Nancy, a winner out of the pocket in 1:54 2/5, closing in a flat 27 seconds. Odds On Aces Full (A. McCarthy / Alagna) set the pace until late stretch before succumbing to the winner. Reckless Abandon (T. McCarthy / Brett Pelling) rallied well very late for third. JK Fancy Nancy is a 3 Brothers homebred Captain Crunch filly from their 2014 Horse of the Year pacing mare, JK She'salady, also trained by Nancy.

The Tall Dark Stranger filly Exceptionalism (Tim Tetrick / Alagna) impressed in her second outing. After a cover trip two weeks ago, Tim put her on the front today and she sprinted home in 26 4/5 on the end of a 1:54 mile to hold off Gigglingonthebeach (A. McCarthy / Cano) to the inside and a sharp rally from Papi's Opinion (Dunn / Pelling) for the win. Katz and Goldband bred the winner and sold her in Lexington for $70,000 to Alagna Racing LLC., CTI2.0 LLC., Frederick W. Hertrich III, and Pryde Stables Inc.

My Sweet Lily scored again for the Gingras / Takter combo; this time emerging from the pocket to go by mile-cutter Perfidious Crown (Dunn / Alagna) in the 26 second end to the 1:53 2/5 mile, her second win in as many tries. Marvin & Lynn Katz share ownership with Caviart Farms, who gave $130,000 at Harrisburg for the Sweet Lou filly from breeders Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Marc Reynolds.

Older horses to win qualifiers included Hambletonian contender Mars Hill in 1:52 4/5 for Todd McCarthy and Tony Alagna, Kentucky Sire Stakes champion Bestfriend Volo in 1:51 for Scott Zeron and Nancy Takter, and both of this year's New Jersey Sire Stakes champions in the 3-year-old pacing group - Arbitrage Hanover in 1:53 2/5 for Todd McCarthy and Brett Pelling and Odds On Steno in 1:51 for Andy McCarthy and Tony Alagna.

--edited press release (Meadowlands)--