Meadowlands: New Jersey Sire Stakes season begins for 2YOs

The first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for 2-year-olds of each sex and gait sat atop the Friday night marquee at the Meadowlands, and among the nine $25,000 divisions, Waldon Fashion and Sugar Packet were two of the most-impressive winners.

Waldon Fashion (Walner-Broadway Donna) followed up a strong score one week ago in a division of the Kindergarten with another flawless performance in the second of three splits for filly trotters in the fourth race.

The 1-9 favorite was dominant from the start, leaving from post eight in the eight-horse field with Todd McCarthy driving and led the field through fractions of 28 2/5, 1:00 3/5 and 1:30 2/5, leaving a 26 3/5 final quarter in the Jim Campbell trainee's tank. She completed the mile in 1:57, hitting the wire 2 3/4 lengths in front of Royal Patti. Sparks was third.

"She broke in like a natural," said Campbell. "It reminded me a lot of her mother [a career earner of $1.4 million and a Kentucky Filly Futurity champion]. A good gait and has a lot of speed. She trained down well all winter.

"She likes to go fast, but she also will follow one, too. She was a little anxious getting out of there tonight but settled down once Todd got her there [to the top]."

Waldon Fashion returned $2.20 to win.

Sugar Packet was an impressive winner in her career debut two weeks ago at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and the Blake MacIntosh student impressed again in the final split for filly trotters (race eight), winning in 1:55 3/5 with Yannick Gingras in the bike.

"[Driver] Jody [Jamieson] really liked her [in her Mohawk win] and Blake thought she was pretty impressive," said Gingras. "She left the gate really well [tonight]. She was really beautiful. She relaxed on the front."

The daughter of Six Pack-Sugarcane Yankee cut out fractions of 28 4/5, 59 2/5 and 1:28 2/5, and had just enough to hold off a pocket-sitting, late-rallying Glam by a nose. Lipstick was third.

"She was a little lost, a little tired," said Gingras. "She was good when the other horse [Glam] came at her. Ake's [Svanstedt] filly is nice, too. I thought maybe he did get me."

As the 4-5 favorite, Sugar Packet returned $3.80 to win.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

VICTORY LANE WALKERS: The other seven New Jersey Sire Stakes winners were:

-Race 2 - Filly Trot: Southwind Chaska (Tactical Landing-Southwind Chai), driven by Tim Tetrick, trained by Jim Oscarsson, winning time 1:55 2/5, returned $22 as the 10-1 fourth choice

-Race 5 - Colt and Gelding Pace: Rocknacious (Perfect Sting-Rocknificent), Scott Zeron, Linda Toscano, 1:53 1/5, $3.40 as the 3-5 favorite

-Race 6 - Colt and Gelding Trot: Maga Hill (Muscle Hill-Goo Doo Doll), Gingras, Ron Burke, 1:54, $4 as the even-money favorite

-Race 7 - Filly Pace: Be Perfect BG (Perfect Sting-Jk Mardi Says), Dexter Dunn, Anthony Beaton, 1:52 1/5, $6 as the 2-1 favorite

-Race 9 - Colt and Gelding Trot: Diabolic Hill (Muscle Hill-Crysti Dream), Andy McCarthy, Annie Stoebe, 1:54 4/5, $3.60 as the 4-5 favorite

-Race 10 - Colt and Gelding Pace: Reincarnated (Lazarus-Cloud Diva), Zeron, Joe Bongiorno, 1:53, $27.80 as the 12-1 fourth choice

-Race 13 - Colt and Gelding Trot: Nix Nacken (Muscle Hill-Nixie Volo), Zeron, Marcus Melander, 1:55, $4.60 as the 6-5 second choice

A LITTLE MORE: Zeron led the driver colony with three winners. All-source betting on the 14-race card totaled $2,484,582. Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m. (EDT) with a spectacular 14-race program that features eight stakes events, including The Big M's signature race, the $656,000 Meadowlands Pace. For those who can't make it to the track, there is a live three-hour broadcast that can be seen on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) beginning at 8 p.m. (EDT).

--press release (Meadowlands)--