East Rutherford, NJ – The first edition of Breakfast With The Babies, sponsored by Fashion Farms, got underway under perfect conditions at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning (June 4) at The Meadowlands.

Qualifiers followed the Baby Races with a few notables going.

Ten races for 2-year-olds were contested with trainer Nancy Takter and driver Yannick Gingras scoring five winners apiece while Marcus Melander won three times.

Pacing colts opened the card with the Sweet Lou colt Blue Lou leading all the way in a 1:54 (:26.4) romp, winning as driver Andy McCarthy pleased. The $160,000 Lexington Selected Sale (LEX) purchase trained by Nancy Takter for owners Morrison Racing Stables, Brian Gordon, and Marvin Katz who also gets a breeder credit with Sam Goldband and Goran Anderberg. It’s A Me Mario (Jason Bartlett) was second with Kid From The Bronx (Mark MacDonald) third.

Takter came right back to win the second with Captain Planet, a $150,000 (LEX) Captaintreacherous colt who went a similar pillar-to-post trip for Yannick Gingras, albeit in a much slower 2:00 (:27.1). Fred Hertrich-bred Captain Planet who is owned by John Fielding and Steve Heimbecker. Duck Dynasty (Bartlett) was second and Hurrikane Hunter (MacDonald) third.

Trotting fillies came along in race three and completed a natural hat trick for trainer Nancy Takter when Brunella (Gingras), a homebred Father Patrick owned by Goran Falk and Nancy’s mom Christina Takter powered by the field in the stretch for the win in 2:00.3, her individual final quarter in :27.2 in hand. Kayleigh S, sister to this year’s top filly Joviality S was a resolute second for Brian Sears and Gigi Hanover third (Ake Svanstedt).

The Melander stable sent out the winner of race four when Mattias drove the Muscle Hill filly Mirasol S to a front end 1:59 (:28.3) over Gucci Girl (Dunn) and Wild Jiggy S (Svanstedt) win for his brother Marcus, the trainer. She’s a homebred, racing for breeder Ab Svensk Rekiamfinans and SRF Stable.

Gingras was aboard Moni Maker Stable homebred Walner filly Moni Lisa to an impressive wide, closing win over Secret Volo (Sears) in 2:02.1, trotting home in :27.1. Exile (Dunn), the top priced 2021 yearling at $800,000 (LEX) was along for third.

After a training break, Bella Macchiato (Gingras) gave Ms. Takter her fourth winner on the day. Yannick moved her to the lead at the 1:03.4 half and then won as she pleased, using a :27.3 close to the 2:02 mile. The Bar Hopping filly was a $50,000 Standardbred Horse Sales (SHS) purchase by Black Horse Racing, Christina and Nancy Takter, and Goren Anderberg from breeder Hanover Shoe Farms. Canterbury Hanover (Sears) was second with All The Rage (Svanstedt) third.

Matias Melander struck again as driver/trainer with Dire Straits cutting even fractions and winning easily in 1:57.1 (:28.2) on his own. Paramount Legend N (Svanstedt) closed well to be second and Lindy’s Interloper (Gingras) third. Dire Straits is a Muscle Hill homebred racing for breeder Richard Gutnick and partners Tom Pontone and Gary Cocco.

Upstaged was another Marcus Melander conditioned winner, this time Tim Tetrick took the lines and set all the fractions, closing the 1:59 mile with a :27.3 final quarter. Kennebago (Smedshammer) followed the leader around to be second with International Man (Gingras) along for third. Upstaged is another Muscle Hill, bred by James Avritt and sold to Stall TZ Inc. for $40,000 (SHS).

The Muscle Hill colt Oh Well cost Lennart Agren’s SRF stable $530,000 (SHS) at the sales last fall and he got a half million-dollar performance from him today with a dazzling win from well back, storming by the field with a :27 flat end to the 1:59.2 mile for driver/trainer Marcus Melander. Concord Farms bred the winner. Chapercraz (Smedshammer) would have won under virtually any other circumstance but settled for second here with Winner’s Bet (Domenico Cecere) a solid third.

Pacing fillies competed in a single dash as race 10 and no matter the sex or gait, Nancy and Yannick were back at it, scoring the fifth winner of the day for each with the sharp looking  “Captain” filly Diamondsnpearls in 1:55.3 with an effortless :26.3 kicker. The winner is a homebred owned by Brittany Farms and Marvin Katz. B On The Hunt (Jordan Stratton) was second and Ucandoit Blue Chip (Scott Zeron) third.

Top older pacer Allywag Hanover (Todd McCarthy) had a tour of the oval that lasted 1:50.1 for an easy win over Chase H Hanover (David Miller) and Meadowlands Pace hopeful Early Action (Sears).

The last race of the day would see 2021 Dan Patch award winner King Of The North and Breeders Crown champ Rebuff make their first seasonal start on the Road to the Hambletonian. They went right to the wire together with Rebuff edging by the “King” in the final strides of the 1:52.4 (:27.2) mile.

Full results for the day may be found on the USTA website by clicking here.

Racing resumes Saturday night (June 4) at The Meadowlands with post time of 6:15 p.m. There will be a free World Harness Handicapping Championship contest.