by Meadowlands Media Relations
East Rutherford, NJ — The swan song of the 2016 Breakfast with the Babies season took place this Saturday morning ( July 30) on a nice day of around 80 degrees and no wind.
The day began with a qualifier for older horses, as many of the drivers had to hop a plane to get to The Meadows for this afternoon’s Adios.
That first race heralded the return to racing of 2015 Trotter of the Year Pinkman with a 1:53.2 winning effort. He set all the fractions for Yannick Gingras and held on through a :27.2 final quarter resisting the strong close of Rose Run Parker. Hambletonian contender Marion Marauder was drawn into this qualifier but did not appear.
Future Secured (Cantab Hall-Thatsnotmyname), the most costly of all 2015 yearlings at $500,000, has recently been relocated to the Ake Svanstedt barn by owners Bender Sweden and Roy Holth. She was a winner at first asking for Ake in 1:57 leading virtually every step and winning easily over Way Out West (Corey Callahan, Chapter Seven-Mary Lou Hall.)
Callahan won the second race in 2:01.1 behind Devanly for trainer Jonas Czernyson. The Donato Hanover-Window Willow lass inherited the lead on the backstretch from a breaking Barn Goddess (Conway Hall-Headintheclouds) and held sway over Ophelia (Joe Bongiorno, Broadway Hall-Mariongotchocolate) and Vicky Kronos IT (Marcus Melander, Cantab Hall-Will Of A Woman.) Devany was a $30,000 Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg buy for Millstream Stable, Alderbaran Park, Joe Sbrocco and Little E, LLC.
Explosive Ridge was the easiest kind of winner for Marcus and Nancy Johansson cutting the 1:59.2 mile, then sprinting home in 28.3. He’s a Kenny Ross homebred by Explosive Matter out of Agenda Tom Ridge that his conditioner is now a partner on. Muscle Almighty (John Campbell, Muscle Hill-Kadealia) was second.
Oscar Florhed drove Ebury Street to a 1:59.2 win for his boss Ake Svanstedt in the Andover Hall-Customary colt’s very first start . Ebury Street sat patiently in the pocket behind Takter and Nobel Prize (Explosive Matter-Sierra Glide) for Florhead then went by willingly on his own for the win. Knutsson Trotting and Courant AB own the $37,000 Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg yearling.
Pacers come onto the track after a break and John Campbell steered Ozzy Blue Chip (Rocknroll Hanover-Ascending) to a front-stepping 1:56.2 win for trainer Steve Elliott. Candell (Mark MacDonald, Bettor’s Delight-Kat’s Treasure) rallied up the inside after a pocket ride to be second and Mr Varsity (Callahan, Roll With Joe-Bronzer Babe) had good late pace for third. The winner, a $95,000 Lexington Selected Sale yearling, is owned by the Breeder Blue Chip Farms with Fred Monteleone.
Passport To Art (Art Major-Western City) looked sharp in a 1:55.3 win today for driver Joe Bongiorno. He cut the mile and sprinted home in :27.3 under his own power to win by a couple over Rock N Blue (Campbell, Rock N Roll Heaven-Lady Indigo). Tony Alagna trains the winner, an $80,000 Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg buy, for Crawford Farms, In The Gym Stables, Joe Sbrocco and Adriano Sorella.
Kiss Kiss won the final baby race of the season for a couple of legends, driver John Campbell and trainer Ross Croghan. She followed the lead of Emily R Hanover (Keith Kamann, Somebeachsomewhere-Ez Rock) through easy fractions then engaged that one through the :27.3 end to the 1:56 mile. Let It Ride and Dana Parham own the American Ideal-Btwnyurheartnmine filly.
It’s Hambletonian Oaks elim night at The Meadowlands with several exciting stakes on the bill as well as the popular Brews, Blues & BBQ. Post time is 7:15 p.m.