Meadowlands: Perfect Sting returns with strong qualifier

Perfect Sting, who went ten-for-ten last year and won the Dan Patch Award for top 2-year-old male pacer in the sport, picked up where he left off in qualifying action Saturday morning at the Meadowlands, winning in 1:52 2/5 for David Miller and Joe Holloway.

Miller put Perfect Sting on the lead, and after leading through fractions of 28 3/5, 58, and 1:26 3/5, Perfect Sting rocketed home in 25 4/5 to win by 4 1/4 lengths. An Always B Miki-Shebestingin colt, Perfect Sting is a homebred for Brittany Farms LLC. and Val D'or Farms.

Ron Burke-trained Southwind Gendry (Yannick Gingras), one of Perfect Sting's main rivals from a year ago, won his second straight qualifier today, scoring in 1:51 under some encouragement in the lane. He defeated last year's Metro winner Exploit (Todd McCarthy). Southwind Gendry, an Always B Miki gelding, is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC., Phil Collura, Knox Services Inc., and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.

Burke and Gingras also won with 3-year-old Sweet Lou colt Lou's Pearlman, who sat in the pocket behind stablemate Summa Cum Laude (Dexter Dunn) and out-finished him in a fast last quarter to tally in a sharp 1:50 3/5. Lou's Pearlman also scored in a qualifier last Saturday at the Meadowlands.

Nancy Takter sent out a pair of winners on the pace. Red Right Hand, a 3-year-old Captaintreacherous brother to $1.37 million earner Call Me Queen Be, led throughout and held off a flying Abuckabett Hanover (Andrew McCarthy to win in 1:51 2/5, and JK Alwaysbalady (Gingras), last year's runner-up in the Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Filly Pace final, won her trial from first-over in 1:55 4/5.

Tony Alagna's armada also collected a trio of victories on the program. Three-year-old trotting filly Hello I Love You was a 1:56 2/5 winner with Scott Zeron at the lines, Andrew McCarthy guided sophomore pacing filly Hot Mess Express to a 1:53 3/5 score from off-the-pace, and David Miller steered 5-year-old Captaintreacherous mare Treacherous Reign to a 1:53 1/5 decision, and

There were also two qualifiers for 4-year-olds and up on the pace, with wins going to Ruthless Hanover (1:50 3/5, Andrew McCarthy/Tom Cancelliere) and Elver Hanover (1:51, Gingras/Burke). Both Ruthless Hanover and Elver Hanover are 4-year-olds.

Hypnotic AM (Brian Sears) led the morning's winning trotters, getting up late from a pocket trip to score in 1:54 4/5 for trainer Marcus Melander and owner Courant Inc. That was a star-studded event, with Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Filly Trot champion Next Level Stuff (Tim Tetrick) coming in third, Hambletonian Oaks winner Sorella (Gingras) fourth, and Dan Patch Award winner Manchego (Dunn) fifth.

Ake Svanstedt had a productive session with his trotters, tallying with 3-year-old filly Queen Tile NO in 1:58 1/5 and 3-year-old colts Calle Palema (1:56 1/5) and Mon Amour (1:54 4/5). Calle Palema led and held off Peter Haughton Memorial winner Zenith Stride (Sears) and Breeders Crown 2-Year-Old Colt Trot runner-up In Range (Tetrick).

Completing the winners during the marathon session were 3-year-old Chapter Seven colt Balenciaga (1:56 3/5, Scott Zeron/Paul Kelley) and 5-year-old Deweycheatumnhowe gelding Oney Hall (1:54 1/5, Todd McCarthy/Brett Pelling).