by Nick Salvi, for Meadowlands Racetrack
East Rutherford, NJ — The Meadowlands hosted 19 races for freshman trotters and pacers on a bright, sunny Saturday morning.
The day began just like last week, with a pair of impressive trotting fillies from the Jimmy Takter barn. Lifetime Pursuit (Cantab Hall-Queen Of Grace) won the opener in 1:57.4/:28 under no encouragement from Yannick Gingras, aboard for breeder/owner Brittany Farms.
Shake It Cerry (Donato Hanover-Solveig) won right back for Takter with Ron Pierce driving. She came from well back into soft fractions and went by easily to win in 2:01.3 with her individual last quarter in :28.
Violet Eyes won the third for the Bob Key stable. The Tom Ridge-American Beauty K filly was comfortable trotting the mile in 2:00.4 with a :28.3 kicker for John Campbell. Paul Reid is her trainer.
Southwind Confetti, from the first crop of Muscle Hill out of Southwind Candie, won the fourth race for Tim Tetrick. She set most of the fractions and cruised home in :28 to finish the 2:00.4 mile. She comes from last year’s Hambo winning connections, owner Richard Gutnick and trainer Linda Toscano.
The fifth was won in 2:03.3 by Master Kemp, a Yankee Glide-Armbro Waikiki colt trained by Tony Alagna for Eagles Soar Partners, Minisink Farms, Joe Sbrocco and TLP Stables. Tim Tetrick guided the colt through a very game stretch drive for the win.
Musclesprinctonian won right back in race six for Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms. The well bred Muscle Hill-Broadway Schooner colt finished off the 2:00.1 mile with a :28.1 final stanza for Tetrick.
Next up was another Muscle Hill winner, this one called Great Society (out of Natashas Kiss). Mike Lachance steered the Alagna trainee to an easy 2:00.3/:27.3 front end win for Brittany Farms, MKatz Alibfeld SGoldband, Joe Sbrocco and California Dreamin Stable.
Marzipan (Chocolatier-Musclelini) won the eighth for Corey Callahan. He sat just behind the lead of Jetta Liner and brushed past in a :28.4 closer to the 2:00.4 mile. Trainer Jonas Czernyson owns the colt along with Jamie Marra and Pete Weisberg.
Father Patrick was ultra impressive in the ninth, winning from third with a quick move on the final turn in 1:59.1, trotting his last quarter in :27.2. Gingras drove the Cantab Hall-Gala Dream brother to Pastor Stephen for trainer Takter and the Father Patrick Stable.
Chris Ryder drove his Muscle Hill-Viking’s Goddess colt Muscle On In to a front stepping 2:01.2 win, holding sway over Sarcastic Man in a :28.1 last quarter. Ryder owns him in partnership with Robert Mondillo and Max Wernick.
Pacing fillies started with the 11th race. Sweet Charity (Art Major-Fool For You) won handily with a sharp closing quarter of :27 in the 1:55 mile for Andy McCarthy. Jerry and Theresa Silva and Ken Tucci own the filly and Aaron Lambert trains.
Chris Ryder drove another winner from his barn in the Rocknroll Hanover-Yes Maam filly Cut A Deal, rolling by the leaders with a :27.3 close to a 1:55 mile. Diamond Creek Farms is the owner.
Race 13, more filly pacers, and the winner was another Rocknroll Hanover filly out of Beachy Lady. This one is Surfside Sexy from Mark Harder’s barn, who rode a pocket and closed in :27.2 on the 2:00 mile. Tetrick drove the winner for Perretti Farms.
Secluded Beach (Somebeachsomewhere-Moselle Hanover) stormed home in :27 on the end of a 1:59.1 mile for Tetrick. She is another from Tony Alagna’s barn for owners Cheap Speed Stable, Joe Sbrocco and Eagles Soar Partners.
Ideal Magic (American Ideal-Special Magic) was another Alagna winner and this colt was geared down late by Tetrick, winning by open lengths in 2:00 with a :27.2 kicker. This one is the property of Cheap Speed Stable, Eagles Soar Partners, Joe Sbrocco and Louis Willinger.
Sweet Rock won the 16th for John Campbell in 1:56.3/:27. Another sharp Rocknroll Hanover-Penny For Nickel colt, this fella is trained by Larry Remmen for Ted Gewertz, Bridle Path Stables and Bradley Grant.
El Bloombito was a winner for the Toscano barn in race 17, finishing the 1:57.2 mile with a 26.4 final quarter. Fair Winds Farm is the owner and Jeff Gregory drove the American Ideal-On The Arm freshman.
Perspective (Art Official-See And Be Seen) took them from start to finish in the 18th with Tetrick aboard for Alagna again. This one is from Art Official’s first crop and he zoomed home in :27.2 to close out the 1:56.2 mile. Eagles Soar Partners, Equus Standardbreds, Joe Sbrocco and Bella Racing share the ownership.
The 19th and final went to McCarthy and Lambert with In The Clear. The Western Ideal-Orchid Island gelding held late in 1:56.4 with a :27 closer. He belongs to J&T Silva Stables and Kenneth Tucci.
See charts and video on the Meadowlands website.