East Rutherford, NJ — Saturday morning (June 5) signaled the start of the 2021 Breakfast With The Babies, sponsored by Fashion Farms, on a perfect morning at The Meadowlands with the temperature in the low 70s and virtually no wind. The races began at 9 a.m.

Perfect Sting (David Miller) opened up the day’s activities with a 1:48.4 conditioning mile in the day’s very first qualifier. Derick Giwner photo.

Perfect Sting (David Miller) opened up the day’s activities with a 1:48.4 conditioning mile in the day’s very first qualifier. Miller put him on the front through fractions of :27.2, :55.3, and 1:22.4 before a :26 sprint home under minimal urging. Hot Mess Express was a comfortable second under no encouragement by Andy McCarthy and Summa Cum Laude (Dexter Dunn) was third.

Joe Holloway trains the 2020 Dan Patch Award winning sophomore for Brittany Farms and Val D’Or Farms.

The first crop of Walner has been well received as winter training reports have been optimistic and today’s performances did nothing to dissuade that opinion. His sons and daughters won five of the seven trotting races on the day.

The results suggest a quote by the late, great Ron Gurfein who observed early in the first crop of another great trotting sire of a few generations ago, “You’re going to have to have a Valley Victory to beat a Valley Victory.”

The 2-year-olds began with filly trotters and Walner fillies were first and second with Penelope J (Scott Zeron) edging by leader American Beauty (Yannick Gingras) late through the :28 final quarter of a remarkable 1:56.1 mile, with both only mildly asked for trot late. Manon (Lucas Wallin) was a good third. Linda Toscano trains the Walner-Decadence winner for Ken Jacobs who paid $160,000 to breeders KR Breeding and Preferred Equine Marketing for her at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Peyton Hanover (Tim Tetrick) rewarded Jeff Snyder and Four Friends Racing for their $400,000 investment by winning her debut in comfortable fashion in 1:58.4 with her final panel clocked in :27.2. She was held off the early lead and closed beautifully to get up as Moni Heist (Zeron) rallied in tandem through the inside to be second with Pardon My Lindy (Gingras) was third. Marcus Melander trains the Muscle Hill-Pennies From Above lass who is a Hanover Shoe Farms bred that sold at the Standardbred Horse Sale.

Another Walner filly impressed in race four as Misswalner Fashion (Tetrick) rallied by the early leaders through her :27.4 end to a 1:56.4 mile. Brickhouse Babe (Mark MacDonald), also by Walner, closed late as well to be second with Jaya Bae (Walner-Mission Brief), the highest priced yearling of 2020 at $725,000 (selling under the name Kadena), third after cutting the mile. Jim Campbell trains the winner, a Walner-Sweet Love Fashion Farms homebred now owned by Jules Siegel and Judith Peres.

Temporal Hanover (Tetrick) won impressively in 2:01.3/:27.4, closing to an easy score over mile cutter Fashiononthehill (Dunn) and Ramses (Wallin). The winner is a Walner-Think Twice colt that was a relatively inexpensive $55,000 purchase by AMG Stable, Kenneth Kjellgren, Rick Wahlstedt and Heights Stable at the Standardbred Horse Sale from breeder Hanover Shoe Farms. Marcus Melander is the trainer.

Tetrick strung four straight together when he drove Wall Of Moni (Walner-All Our Moni) to an effortless 1:56.3/:27.3 come from behind win. The colt is a Moni Maker Stable homebred from the family of that great mare and is trained by Domenico Cecere. Classic Hill (Brian Sears) was second while Theresnolimit S (Mattias Melander), from the first crop of Nuncio, held for third.

King Of The North (Mark MacDonald) posted an impressive 1:58.2 score from the pocket. Derick Giwner photo.

King Of The North (Mark MacDonald) lived up to his imposing pedigree, by Walner from the champion mare Check Me Out, with an impressive 1:58.2 score from the pocket, home in :27. Chulo (Gingras) cut the mile and gave way grudgingly to be second while Periculum (Mealnder) came third. Ray Schnittker (who bred the horse with Steve Jones) shares ownership of the colt (who went through the Lexington sale for $190,000) with Arden Homestead Stable, Nolamaura Racing and Steven Arnold.

Pacers began with fillies in the eighth race and Onecrookedleg (Andy McCarthy) overcame that name and a bargain price to sprint home in :26 for the win in 1:59.4 over Treacherous Kiss (Gingras) and The Ideal Huntress (Miller). Trainer Brett Bittle spent a mere $9,000 in Lexington for the Sweet Lou-Rock My Girl filly.

Bermuda benefited from a ground saving Dexter Dunn steer to close up the inside for a 1:55/:27 score over Lake Dora (Gingras) and Captains Princess (Andy McCarthy). The winner is a daughter of Captaintreacherous-Sweetest Emotion owned by Diamond Creek Racing, bred by Let It Ride Stables and trained in the Nancy Takter barn.

Captaintreacherous had another winner when Atlas Hanover (Andy McCarthy) went pretty much all the way on an easy lead before sprinting home in :26.2 for a 1:56.3 score. Wearinmysixshooter (Gingras) was flying late, :25.4 into the fast last quarter to get up for second with Danger Zone (Todd McCarthy) third. Tony Alagna trains the son of Captaintreacherous-Ameraway for Robert LeBlanc, David Anderson, Ken Jacobs and In The Gym Partners who paid $170,000 at last year’s Standardbred Horse Sale. Hanover Shoe Farms is the breeder.

First crop pacing sire Huntsville had his first Meadowlands winner this morning in Foxhunt (Todd McCarthy), who won a stretch long battle over Nautical Hanover (Dunn) for a 1:56/:26.4 mark. Caviart Scout (Gingras) was a late rallying third. Foxhunt is the first foal of the good mare Wrangler Magic and was a $75,000 Lexington purchase by Ken Jacobs from breeder Crawford Farms. Trainer Alagna picked up his second win of the day.

The homebred Sweet Lou-Economy Terror colt Market Based (Gingras) scored from off the pace in 1:55 with a strong close to get up over Captaingiddyupngo (Dunn) after Colby Jack went offstride in the stretch after looking like a winner. Nancy Takter trains Market Based for Chuck Pompey, Howard Taylor and Edwin Gold.

All results may be accessed on The Meadowlands website and replays of today’s action on the YouTube page.

The Meadowlands is in big business today with the Belmont Stakes on simulcast and the Graduate series for both trotters and pacers headlining the live card. First post is 6:20 p.m.