by The Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — The fifth edition of Breakfast With the Babies began at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday (July 1) under overcast skies with a slight breeze nudging them down the stretch and temperatures in the high 70’s. Early arrivals were treated to a 1:52 and change training mile by Huntsville, who currently sits atop the Road To The Meadowlands Pace leaderboard. Held out of the Max Hempt elimination and final, trainer Ray Schnittker sent driver Tim Tetrick out to sharpen him up a bit and he did just that. The closing quarter was :26 or a tick faster with the driver sitting still. At the top of the list performance-wise in the morning’s races were a pair of high-dollar 2016 yearlings that certainly look the part at this early stage.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Huntsville, pictured here winning the 2016 Breeders Crown, kicks off the morning qualifying events with a strong training mile.

Trotter Quantum Kemp won by many, many lengths with trainer Jimmy Takter reliving his Hambletonian memory of 2014 when he drove his full brother Trixton to victory. Takter went right to the front with the $200,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale Muscle Hill-Emilie Cas El colt and widened at every call through the 1:58.1 mile with a final quarter of :28.2 mile. He appeared to be getting lonely near the wire with the official margin of victory at 26-1/2 lengths. Brixton Medical, John Fielding, Joyce McClelland and Herb Liverman are the owners. American Steele (Cantab Hall-Miss Steele, Marcus Miller) was second with Steven W Hill (Muscle Hill-Love Walked In, David Miller) third.

In the very next race pacing filly Come See The Show (Tetrick), the $550,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale product of the mating of former fastest horse in a race ever Somebeachsomewhere with the former fastest mare in a race ever Put On A Show, put on a show of her own in 1:55.1. She sat along behind eventual place finisher in a gritty effort of her own, Miswave Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere-Maremma Hanover, Marcus Miller) through a 1:29.1 three-quarters then when tipped outside the leader, flashed :25.4 final quarter speed to edge by with minimal encouragement from the driver. Linda Toscano trains this filly for owner/breeders Joanne and Richard Young.

The morning began with Piranha Fury, a $90,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase, taking the opener for David Miller in 1:59.2. Miller sent the daughter of Donato Hanover-Nicole’s Promise out from post eight to drop in the deuce as Andy McCarthy cut the mile with eventual second place finisher Falling In Love (Muscle Hill-Viva Las Lindy). She was then eased out around the final turn to go by under her own power through the :28.2 final panel. Dab Hanover (Donato Hanover-Dixieland Delite, Mattias Melander) was third. Richard “Nifty” Newman trains the winner for Mel Hartman, Little E & Diamond Creek.

Live Laugh Love, a $90,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, impressed in making it a sweep of the morning double for the driver and trainer, brushing by the field into the :28 flat last quarter to win in 1:56.2 while well in hand. The daughter of Donato Hanover-Shes Gone Again races for her breeders, Mel Hartman and Diamond Creek with Mr. Hartman’s usual partner David McDuffee in for a stake. Hello Blondie (Cantab Hall-Winbak Blondie, A. McCarthy) split fillies late with trot to be second while Apprentice M (Kadabra-Christina M, Brett Miller) was third.

The Jimmy Takter and Yannick Gingras machine began to pick up steam in the third race with Bella Glos, $95,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase, leading all the way with a :27.2 sprint at the end of a 1:57.1 mile. It was the daughter of Cantab Hall-Global Desire’s second impressive win in as many starts. Lucky Rainbow (Credit Winner-Lady Rainbow) sat the pocket and held second for the Miller/Norman team while Mooskha Stride (Credit Winner-Check Me Out, Tetrick), raced from behind today. She was a very willing third gaining into the fast last fraction. Black Horse Racing owns the winner.

Takter won right back with the good-looking colt Wolfgang, a $60,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, moving first-over around the final bend then engaging early leader Spee Club (Ake Svanstedt) before going by that one to win as he pleased in 1:56.1 with a :27.1 final quarter under no urging. He’s by first crop sire My MVP, out of Summer Savory. Unforgettable (Cantab Hall-Miss Otis Regrets, Scott Zeron) went a nice trip for trainer Tony Alagna to be second and Spee Club (Cantab Hall-Almond Joy) stuck around for third. Brixton Medical, Bud Hatfiled Stable, Goran Falk and breeder Fair Island Farm share ownership of Wolfgang.

Cousin Rickard (Johnny William-Coram Deo) converted a Takter triple converting a pocket trip into a 1:58 mile with a :28.1 final quarter score with the trainer who was doing the driving. He’s a homebred by Johnny William owned by Christina Takter, John & Jim Fielding and RAW Equine. Royson’s Tuffguy (Muscle Massive-Liebowitz Hanover, Tetrick) cut the mile and held up well for second with Godspell Hall (Conway Hall-Garbo Hall, Zeron) closing nicely to be a comfortable third.

Azreal As It Gets was a winner for the trainer/driver duo of Svanstedt and Gingras. Gingras sat in fourth until the stretch where he sent her after Band Stand (B. Miller) who had opened up on the field by several lengths. The filly caught that one and went on by in the :27.4 end to the 1:55.4 mile. Our Horse Cents and Stable 45 are the owners of the So Surreal-Vanite Semalu filly. Band Stand (A RocknRoll Dance-Al’s Girl) held second with Princess Dalia (Artiscape-Princess Vibray, Tetrick) third.

Gingras drove Takter trainee Pro Beach, a $450,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, to a 1:54.2 win in his third qualifying start.This time the son of Somebeachsomewhere-Darlin’s Delight) cutting the mile through the 1:28 three-quarters then was extended to hold off the late rushing Better Watch Out (Bettor’s Delight-Walk Softly, Tetrick) through a :26.2 final panel for the win. Jackamino (Bettor’s Delight-Pucker Up, A. McCarthy) was along for third. Brixton Medical, Marvin Katz and Bud Hatfield Stable are the proud owners of the royally bred colt.

Tetrick drove Love Yourself, a son of Rock N Roll Heaven-Armbro Bianca and a $52,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase, to a front end 1:54.4 score with a :27.1 final quarter for trainer Svanstedt. Odds On Lauderdale (Western Ideal-Wordly Deo, Zeron) made late gains to be second and JK Fielding (Well Said-Someheartsomewhere, Gingras) recovered from an early stretch misstep for third.

Decoy, a $110,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, won the last of the 2-year-old race making it a six-pack for the Takter barn and was driven by David Miller. The stylish looking son of Somebeachsomewhere-Live Entertainment set all the fractions, tacking a :26.3 last quarter in the 1:53.4 mile. Another Takter horse, Grand Teton (A Rock n Roll Dance-Western Montana, B. Miller) was a closing second and Liveonthephone (Art Major, Cinergy Hanover, Svanstedt) third.

Fast Qualifiers

There were a few qualifiers of note this morning.

The double Dan Patch Award-winning pacing mare Pure Country went a sublime mile with trainer Takter driving. The mare reeled off three consecutive :27.2 quarters then closed the 1:48 flat mile out with a :25.4 final panel in what is thought was the fastest qualifier ever.

Hannelore Hanover got in a bit of work in anticipation of the next leg of the Miss Versatility series on Meadowlands Pace night with a 1:53.4 mile with a :26.2 final quarter breeze. Gingras was in the bike and the duo scored over Barn Girl, who won the Miss Versatility final last year.

Dr. J Hanover (Zeron) and Caviart Luca (D. Miller) threw down in a :26 flat end to a 1:50.3 mile with Dr. J Hanover prevailing by a nose in the final strides to sharpen up for next Saturday’s Graduate final.