Meadowlands: Takter barn rolls a seven in Saturday's qualifiers

Breakfast With The Babies, Meadowlands Pace Day edition, sponsored by Fashion Farms, began at 9:00 a.m. on a warm and muggy morning with cloudy skies and no wind. There were a few qualifiers of note after the babies were completed. It turned out to be Nancy Takter day at BWTB, as the 2020 Dan Patch Trainer Of The Year won six of the nine baby races and a qualifier on the morning.

Nancy's NJSS final-winning sophomore trotting colt Really Fast held off the charge of Kildare King in 1:51 2/5 for Yannick Gingras.

Top open class pacer Nicholas Beach reeled off what, to the knowledge of the panel of experts present, the fastest qualifying race ever. Driver Joe Bongiorno put "Nick" on the front through a half in 55, set sail with a 27 2/5 third panel then flew home in 25 2/5 for a 1:47 4/5 final time with Bongiorno sitting chilly in the bike.

The Crawford Trot winner of a few weeks ago, Forbidden Trade (Dan Dube), just got up over Mississippi Storm in 1:51 2/5 to wrap up the day.

As for the baby races, an American Ideal colt match race opened the card when the first was scratched down to two. Scott Zeron put Go With The Flow on the lead from the start and held sway over Third Power (Dexter Dunn) despite drifting noticeably in the stretch, the mile in 1:55. Go With The Flow is trained by Linda Toscano for owner/breeder Arnie Chusid.

Jimmy Takter drove the Father Patrick colt Takato to a 1:57 3/5 win over stablemate Pretender (Josert Fonseca) in race two. Nancy Takter trains the winner for Black Horse Racing, John Fielding, and her mom Christina, who paid $140,000 for the colt in Lexington from breeders Steve Stewart and Kemppi Farms.

JK Standingovation (Dunn) won right back for Nancy in the third, stalking an honest pace set by El Pistolero (Andy Miller) and breaking the beam in 1:53 4/5 / 28 1/5 last quarter. The son of JK Endofanera cost 3 Brothers Stables and Caviart Farms a hefty $240,000 at the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale last fall.

Famous Father made it a natural hat trick for Nancy Takter, with her famous father Jimmy along for the ride. After a stalking trip, the elder Takter tipped the Father Patrick colt to the outside as they straightened up, and he went on by willingly. Goran Falk and Christina Takter are partners on the son of their broodmare Hollywood Hill.

Balance made it four straight for the Takter barn when Scott Zeron drove her to a impressive front-stepping 1:53 3/5 / 27 1/5 last quarter win over Two Proud (A. Miller) with something left. The Bettor's Delight filly out of West Of L A, producer of horses that have earned more than $3 million, is owned by Diamond Creek Racing and was bred by Bob McIntosh and CSX Stable.

Dave Miller drove the Nifty Norman-trained Cantab Hall filly Fortunapedia to a 2:02 3/5 win over stablemate Seven Shadows (Dunn). Ross Stables bred Fortunapedia, who was purchased from the Standardbred Horse Sale for $30,000 by current owners Patricia Stable and the trainer.

Nancy picked it right back up with "One for the Thumb" in the seventh with homebred Always B Idyllic (Dunn), who set a steady pace, then sprinted home in 27 2/5 for the 1:54 1/5 win over a late-moving Treacherous Dragon (Tetrick). Christina Takter, Marvin Katz, and Brixton Medical own the Always B Miki filly, the first foal out of million dollar-winning race mare Idyllic Beach.

Mrs Taylor was a 2:00 2/5 winner for Yannick Gingras and the Ron Burke barn, sliding up the inside through a 29 1/5 last quarter for the score over Giza Dreams (Zeron) and Unmistakable (Tony Alagna), with Agro Dolce (D. Miller) flashing sneaky late foot to be fourth. The winner is by Muscle Hill and out of the great Buck I St Pat, who Burke trained for much of her $2.3 million career.

Midnite Express G (Tetrick) closed out the day as Nancy Takter's sixth winner of the morning. Tetrick held the Donato Hanover filly just off the lead as Jaya Bae (Marcus Melander) set comfortable fractions, and when tipped and asked, she responded willingly. Just Bee Awesome (D. Miller) closed up nicely to get the place under a grip, while the early leader held for third. Midnite Express G is owned and was bred by Misty Ridge Stable.

--press release (Meadowlands)--