by The Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Qualifiers went at 5 p.m. this evening, Saturday (May 12), at The Meadowlands under overcast skies on a wet fast track with temperatures in the high 50s and a gusty 7-10 mph headwind in the stretch.

Gillette photo

Manchego, shown here winning her 2017 Breeders Crown elimination, won her first qualifying event of 2018 in 1:53.4.

Manchego headlined the qualifying card as the unbeaten Dan Patch Award-winning freshman trotting filly of last season made her first public appearance in 2018 and picked up right where she left off in the 2017 Breeders Crown final, with a win.

It was a workman-like effort for the talented filly as driver Yannick Gingras settled her mid-pack early through honest fractions then followed the live cover of Top Expectations (Andy McCarthy) before eclipsing that game rival by a pair of lengths to win in 1:53.4 with her last quarter in :27.3 under her own power. Jimmy Takter is the trainer and she is owned by Black Horse Racing, John Fielding and Herb Liverman.

Takter also sent out Nutcracker Sweet from his battalion of sophomore pacing colts and what a performance he put on for driver Tim Tetrick. On not a particularly nice evening he set a comfortable pace then ripped home in :26.2 for a 1:50.2 score. Another colt from Takter’s barn that did not race at two, Thinkbig Dreambig (Gingras), went a remarkable trip, actually gaining a bit in that torrid final stanza to be second. Howard Taylor, Order By Stable and R. Lombardo own Nutcracker Sweet.

Takter took the lines on his most accomplished returning trotting colt, last year’s Peter Haughton Memorial winner You Know You Do. He eased him to the front by the three-eighths then used a :27.4 final quarter to hold a game first-over Shoshie Deo (D. Minor) at bay by a length in 1:54.1. Wolfgang (Gingras/Takter) made his seasonal bow as well and was a good fourth off a conservative trip. Howard Taylor, Order By, Hatfield, Katz and Libfeld share ownership of the winner.

Sophomore filly trotter Repentance (Tetrick) was a very game 1:53.3 winner, cutting the mile and fighting back after the good Supergirl Riley (McCarthy) poked a head past her in early stretch in the :27.2 final quarter. Linda Toscano trains the Diamond Creek homebred.

For A Dreamer, trained by Jack Leamon and driven by Callahan, won in 1:55 and Band Stand (Brett Miller/Tony Alagna) also posted a win on the card.