from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Breakfast with the Babies was held on a picture-perfect Friday morning (July 3) at the Meadowlands with moderate temperatures, clear skies and a slight cross breeze as the races began at 9:30 a.m.

Derick Giwner photo

Mission Brief won her qualifier on Friday in 1:54.3.

World champion Mission Brief came onto the track for her qualifying race this morning equipped with trotting hobbles and went a flat mile in 1:54.3. Yannick Gingras put her on the lead and faced pressure in the :27.4 second quarter from stablemate I’m So Fancy, put that one in behind her, then drifted out some in the stretch while still a bit tentative through the :28.4 last quarter.

Hustle Heart opened the 2-year-old races a 1:59.3 winner for Andy and Julie Miller. The Marvin Katz/Al Libfeld homebred by Credit Winner from their Hambo Oaks winner Creamy Mimi led all the way to hold $260,000 Lexington purchase Earn Your Wings safe with a :29.4 final quarter.

Scott Zeron drove a sharp looking Donato Hanover-Sea Level Hanover filly named Side Bet Hanover to a come from behind 1:58.4 win for trainer Jonas Czernyson this morning. She closed well to be fourth in her initial outing last week and gobbled up the ground into a :29.1 final quarter to run down Keep It Classy. SRF Stable paid $55,000 for her at the Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg last fall.

The $240,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale graduate Winter Harbor was a 1:59 winner off a perfect steer by Zeron. The Muscle Hill-Spectacular Bay colt found early pocket position from the outside and had plenty when called upon through the :29.2 closing quarter to a clear win over Armbro Hall with $320,000 LSYS purchase The Perfect Lindy closing to be third. The winner is trained by Tony Alagna for Brittany Farms, John Cancelliere, Little E and Winter Harbor Partners.

Promise Delivered impressed with both his speed and maneuverability in the fourth race as driver Tim Tetrick had to change course abruptly to avoid a breaker on the last turn, yet the colt continued his momentum to edge past Curious De Vie for a 1:58.2/:28.4 win. He’s a Muscle Hill-Nicole’s Promise $50,000 SHS buy for trainer Staffan Lind and owners Bender Sweden, Acadia Farms and Elmer Fannin.

The pacing races began with Mario Mazza’s A List Hanover who cut the mile for Andy Miller and won in 1:56.1, holding a late rallying Penpal off with a :28.2 last quarter. Julie Miller trains the Somebeachsomewhere-Allamerican Nadia filly that was a $160,000 Harrisburg purchase by Mr. Mazza.

Zeron and Alagna combined for another win with the nice Vintage Master-Bunkhouse Babe filly Vintage Babe. She led all the way through comfortable fractions then sprinted home in :28 for the win over Selfie and a closing Call Me Queen Be. Tony and Jodi Siamis ponied up $25,000 at LSYS for the winner.

It was Settlemoir squared in the seventh with Jason Settlemoir the Meadowlands GM in for the call of the race which was won by Settlemoir the Western Ideal-Dreams Are Great pacing colt. Driven by trainer Jimmy Takter, Settlemoir was prominent throughout, posting all the fractions, then digging in gamely to hold off a wave of closers in the :27.4 final quarter of the 1:55.2 mile. Christina Takter, Herb Liverman and John and Jim Fielding are the proud owners of the $105,000 Lexington buy.

Dr J Hanover was a winner today for Alagna and Tetrick, cutting the mile and closing out the 1:55 score with a :28.1 final quarter over Sunken Treasure with Jann And Dean gaining late for third. Dr J Hanover was a big ticket yearling with Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, John Cancelliere and the Dr J Partners parting with $300,000 to buy him at Harrisburg then naming the Somebeachsomewhere-So Perfect colt for Dr. Jablonsky from Hanover Shoe Farms.

The ninth saw three colts flash under the wire in a line with Cruise Patrol splitting Artmagic and Uncle Nicky for the 1:56.1/:27.3 record. Cruise Patrol is a $60,000 LSYS Bettor’s Delight-Western Cruise colt trained and driven by Jimmy Takter for wife Christina, John and Jim Fielding, and RAW Equine.

Takter collected another win with Badstormanyport, driven by Yannick Gingras to a 1:55 record. Gingras placed him in a pocket early, following through a :59 half and 1:27.1 three-quarters and the Somebeachsomewhere-Katie My Girl colt went by the leader willingly when asked. Tom Hill (the horse) closed nicely to be second. The winner was a $90,000 SHS yearling and is owned by the partnership of Christina Takter, John Fielding, Joe Sbrocco and J&T Silva Stables.

Live racing resumes Friday night at 7:15 p.m. with fireworks afterwards.