Meadowlands: Swift Swanda impresses in qualifier

Indiana Sires Stakes star and Hambletonian Oaks eligible Swift Swanda invaded the Meadowlands this morning and was an impressive 1:52 3/5 winner in a qualifying race.

Driven by Tim Tetrick, Swift Swanda had a gap on her rivals through panels of 28 4/5, 56 3/5, and 1:25, then widened her margin in a 27 3/5 final kicker to win by 12 3/4 lengths in 1:52 3/5. Trained by Erv Miller, Swift Swanda, a daughter of Swan For All, has won ten times from 17 appearances and earned $317,637 for owners Anthony Lombardi and The Kales Company LLC.

Tetrick also won a qualifier with $1.46 million earner Guardian Angel AS. A 7-year-old Archangel stallion, Guardian Angel AS led Spectre (Dexter Dunn) and Back Of The Neck (Ake Svanstedt) through stations of 27 4/5, 55 4/5, and 1:24 1/5 on his way to a six length decision in 1:52. Anette Lorentzon trains Guardian Angel AS for her family's ACL Stuteri AB and co-owner Kjell Johansson.

Trainer Nancy Takter won with 4-year-old gelding pacer No Lou Zing (Dexter Dunn) in 1:51 after a pocket trip and with 3-year-old filly pacer JK Alwaysbalady (Josert Fonseca) from the two-hole in 1:54 4/5. No Lou Zing, by Sweet Lou, has eight career wins and earnings of $538,502 for owners 3 Brothers Stables, Rojan Stables, and Caviart Farms, and JK Alwaysbalady, by Always B Miki and the second foal out of former Horse of the Year JK She'salady, has a record of 2-6-2 from 14 appearances for owner/breeder 3 Brothers Stables.

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There were also four baby races on the card. Driver Mattias Melander and trainer Marcus Melander won with Ready Cash-Prowess Kronos filly Jeannica S in 1:58 1/5 and with Long Tom-Inner Drive colt Tom's Got Drive in 1:57 3/5. Jeannica S, owned by Courant Inc., was bred by France's Julinus Ab, and Tom's Got Drive was bred by Marsh Valley Standardbreds and purchased for $55,000 at last year's Ohio Selected Yearling Sale by AMG Stable Inc.

On the pacing side for the rookies, Wolftrax (Tetrick) won on the engine in 1:55 4/5 for trainer Paula Wellwood, and Broadway tallied on the front-end in 1:55 3/5 for David Miller and Chris Ryder. Wolftrax, a Betting Line-Cathedra Dot Com colt, was bred by Steve Stewart and partners and was a $40,000 Lexington buy for Dreamville Stable, and Broadway, a daughter of Always B Miki, is a homebred for Diamond Creek Farm and is the third foal out of $1.9 million earner I Luv The Nitelife (Rocknroll Hanover).