by Carol Hodes, for the SBOANJ

Manalapan, NJ — French Laundry took the rest of the field to the cleaners, coasting to a 5-3/4 length victory in the $39,000 opening round of the New Jersey Sires Stakes for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings, the first race on Friday (June 27) at the Meadowlands.

Lisa photo

French Laundry trotted the mile in 1:56, equaling the NJSS stakes record set by Yankee Glide in 1996.

The Muscles Yankee colt, out of the Hambletonian Oaks winner Creamy Mimi, trotted the mile in 1:56, equaling the stakes record set by Yankee Glide in 1996.

The 3-5 favorite, under a confident hand-drive by Yannick Gingras, won his pari-mutuel debut, paying $3.20, following up on a two-for-two record in freshman qualifying races. The Jimmy Takter trainee was a $115,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase by Christina Takter, John Fielding, Jim Fielding, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.

In the battle for second, True Blue (Muscle Hill), with Tim Tetrick driving, got up and Broken Record (Muscles Yankee), with Ron Pierce, held on for third by nine lengths.

Saturday Mornings, driven by David Miller, collected top money in the $38,500 New Jersey Sire Stakes for 2-year-old trotting fillies in the fifth race.

It was a wire-to-wire effort for 6-5 Saturday Mornings ($4.40) who trotted the mile in 1:57.2, finishing 1-3/4 lengths ahead of Demons N Diamonds. Southwind Cartier was third by 2-3/4 lengths.

Trained by Joe Holloway, Saturday Mornings was a $32,000 Lexington Selected Sale yearling purchase for Bluestone Farms of Hopewell, N.J.

Mission Brief, the 4-5 favorite, broke early and finished last.

All seven of the starters were daughters of Muscle Hill.

NJSS pacing divisions to Stacia Hanover, Cashaway, Dealt A Winner and Weapons Dealer

Stacia Hanover by Western Ideal popped out of the pocket in the stretch and out-sprinted the pacesetter The Show Returns for a half-length victory in the $25,500 first division of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies in the third race.

Driven by Scott Zeron and trained by Steve Elliott, Stacia Hanover paced the mile in 1:59.1, with a last quarter in :25.4, after The Show Returns (Rocknroll Hanover), with Brian Sears driving, cut slow, unpressured fractions. Rocknroll Allnight (Rocknroll Hanover), rough in the stretch, survived an inquiry, finishing third by nine lengths.

Stacia Hanover, sent off at 3-5, paid $3.20. She was a $35,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase for David Van Duse and Michael Cimaglio.

In the second $25,500 filly pacing division, the 11th race, 3-5 Cashaway ($3.40) held off challenges from Ideal Nuggets (Western Ideal) and Smart Zone (Rocknroll Hanove) to win in 1:55.

Tim Tetrick guided Cashaway, a daughter of Western Ideal out of the proven producer CPA, to the neck victory with a half-length to Smart Zone in third.

The Tony Alagna trainee was a $105,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase. She is owned by her co-breeder, Brittany Farms, in partnership with Marvin Katz.

Dealt A Winner ($8.20) paced a New Jersey Sire Stakes record for 2-year-old geldings when he stopped the clock in 1:52.4 in the ninth race, the $27,000 first division for pacing colts and geldings.

David Miller brushed the Cam’s Card Shark gelding from sixth to the lead down the backstretch, taking command from Western Pioneer, the 4-5 favorite, and would not be caught, winning by 1-1/4 lengths. Hurrikane Ali gained ground in the stretch to finish second while Ticket To Roll was 3-1/2 lengths back in third. Both are sons of Rocknroll Hanover.

Dealt A Winner, trained by Edward Hart and owned by Jeff Snyder, was a $35,000 Harrisburg Sale yearling purchase. The 1:52.4 mile eclipsed the gelding mark of 1:53 shared by Fancy Creek Storm (1997) and Western Ace (2005).

In the 12th race, the $27,000 second division for pacing colts and geldings, Weapons Dealer by Western Ideal had the ammunition in the stretch to post a 1-1/2 length victory over Too Darn Hot (Rocknroll Hanover) in 1:54.2. Mr Censi (Cam’s Card Shark) was 4-1/2 lengths back in third.

Brett Miller was in the sulky for the victory. Isaac Waxman trains for Brenda Waxman and Aaron Waxman, who acquired the White Birch Farm-bred colt for $10,000 at the Harrisburg Sale.

Wishing Stone: breeding shed to winner’s circle

Wishing Stone, back in training after a busy breeding season, won his 2014 debut in Friday night’s sixth race classified trot.

Wishing Stone stood as a stallion at Deo Volente Farms in New Jersey, fulfilling contracts for 331 doses of frozen semen overseas as well as being bred to some 30 mares in North America.

The double-millionaire scored a half-length victory over Undercover Strike in 1:52.4. Yannick Gingras was at the lines of the Ron Burke trainee who campaigns for the Wishing Stone Syndicate of Flemington, N.J. The 7-year-old Wishing Stone picked up his 22nd career victory in 70 starts.

The Ms. Hot To Trot Competition was well-received as usual, and those that came out to the track were just as interested in putting some money through the windows as on track handle yielded gains of nearly 10 percent.

Racing resumes on Saturday with first post time at 7:15 p.m. The final round of the Ms. Hot To Trot headlines the entertainment, while the racing features a wide open $30,000 Free For All Pace.

For more information, go to www.playmeadowlands.com.