Meadowlands: Lather Up qualifies in style on Saturday morning

Lather Up led the way in qualifying action on Saturday morning at the Meadowlands as harness racing history's co-fastest horse turned in a 1:49 4/5 mile for driver Montrell Teague and trainer Clyde Francis.

Facing off against three foes, Lather Up led through fractions of 28 4/5, 55 4/5, and 1:24, then sprinted home in 25 4/5 to win by open lengths. He'll likely be one of the stars of next Saturday's Hambletonian Day undercard, racing in the U.S. Pacing Championship.

Guaranteed (Jimmy Takter) also had a big win in the sixth qualifier, romping to a 1:52 3/5 victory for trainer Per Engblom. The Hambletonian eligible, a colt by Muscle Hill, has won two straight qualifiers since entering Engblom's barn.

The Greek Freak (Vinnie Ginsburg) has been plagued by issues in his pari-mutuel starts, but the 2-year-old Captaintreacherous-Thirty X colt was solid today, winning a baby race from the pocket in 1:52 4/5 for trainer Ron Burke. Burke Racing Stable LLC. and partners paid $75,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for the Steve Jones and Mark Mullen-bred youngster.

Rookie pacing filly Sail By (Teague) picked up her second straight win in a qualifier, leading all the way and scoring in 1:54 4/5. Tony Alagna trains the Brittany Farms homebred daughter of Captaintreacherous-Acquavella.

Alagna also scored with 2-year-old colt trotter Primo Padre (Josert Fonseca) in 1:57 4/5. Coming off breaks in his pari-mutuel races, Primo Padre minded his manners today and won on the engine over a rallying Hemisphere (Marcus Melander). Kelly Walker Stable LLC. bred and owns Primo Padre, a Father Patrick-Persuasive Action colt.

Hotsprings Volo, a daughter of 2004 Hambletonian Oaks winner Silver Springs, took the other baby race for trotters in 1:59 1/5 for Jan Johnson and Marcus Melander. A filly by Explosive Matter, she's owned by Kentuckiana Racing Stable and her breeder Jorgen Jahre Jr.

And rounding out the qualifying winners was 4-year-old Swan For All trotting mare O So Easy (Scott Zeron), who front-stepped her way to a 1:54 1/5 victory for trainer Domenico Cecere and owner Greathorse.