by The Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ –– After very early morning rains, Saturday’s (June 24) qualifying card began just as the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly. The flags wafted in a slight wind with the track wet fast to start, though it was a bit muggy with temps in the mid-70’s. The presence of the top rated 3-year-old trotting colt, Walner, who toured the oval in 1:53, while trotting home in :28.2 into a significant headwind for his third consecutive qualifying victory highlighted the 23-race event. Ken Jacobs owns, Linda Toscano trains and Tim Tetrick drives, the colt who is on course for the Aug. 5 Hambletonian. Twenty of the contests were for 2-year-olds with no lack of pedigree or ability on display.

Chris Tully photo

Mooshka Stride, demonstrates it is like mother like daughter, as the first foal of Check Me Out easily captures her engagement at The Meadowlands.

The day’s opener was also the debut of Mooshka Stride, first foal of the grand champion trotting mare Check Me Out, and she did not disappoint. Sent right to the top by Tetrick from the start, the Credit Winner filly set all the fractions and finished the impressive 1:59.2 mile with a :28.2 final quarter on her own. Emilio and Maria Rosati paid $260,000 for the filly at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale last fall and Mark Harder is the trainer. Smoke And Mirrors (Kadabra-Soutaine Hanover, David Miller) was second and Cousin Bea (Yankee Glide-Southern Senorita, Marcus Miller) third.

Hey Blondie won race two despite making a slight miscue through the first turn. Driver Dave Miller settled the Cantab Hall-Winbak Blondie filly then came first-over, gradually wearing down the leader and holding sway in 2:02.2. Chuck Sylvester trains the $125,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale buy for Steve Jones, Mary Kinsey, Paul Bordogna and Dave McDuffee. Fuel Her Flame (Cantab Hall-Graceful Touch, Jimmy Takter) was gaining late to get second and Chapter’s Lady (Chapter Seven-If And Only If, Tetrick) third.

The grey Cantab Hall-Up Front Laura filly Tiffany’s Flash was another front-end winner for Tetrick in 1:57.3 getting home in :28.1 to hold off the rally of Top Expectations (Cantab Hall-Exceed Expectation, M. Miller). Tiffany’s Flash is from the Linda Toscano barn, wh0 owns the $72,000 Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg purchase via her Camelot Farms with partners R & I Farms and Highland Farms.

Trond Smedshammer won the fourth with the Purple Haze stable’s $55,000 Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg buy Velvatter (Explosive Matter-Velvet’s Katie Bug). She put up all the numbers and finished the 1:59.3 mile with a :27.4 final quarter to hold off Holy Bones (Donato Hanover, On The Bones, Tetrick) with Special Hill (Muscle Hill-Honor Thy Daughter, Yannick Gingras) closing it up late to be third.

Trainer Mark Harder sent out another beautiful filly for the Rosatis in Lily Stride (Tetrick). who won easily in 1:58.2 while trotting strongly through the :29 final quarter. She’s a daughter of Muscle Hill-Sterling Volo, who commanded $220,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale last fall. Lucky Rainbow (Credit Winner-Lady Rainbow, D. Miller) was a good second and Muscle Playmate (Muscle Hill-Lima Playmate, Ake Svanstedt) flashed late trot to be third.

The stretch head-winds began to pick up as Supergirl Riley (Muscle Mass-Crown Laurel, M. Miller) took the sixth in 1:56.4. She cut the mile, took high heat from Air Quote Hanover (Donato Hanover, Aurora Hall, Gingras) through a :28.3 third panel then widened as she pleased through the :28.1 final quarter. Repentance (Chapter Seven-Swan Hot Mama, Tetrick) had good late trot to be second with Air Quote Hanover staying on for third. The winner is trained by Erv Miller for Paymaq Racing, GT Golemes and Harvey Eisman who gave $32,000 for the lass at Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Right around a million dollars’ worth of horseflesh lined up for race seven and the most expensive colt won. Story Time Hanover brought $410,000 from owner Melby Gard at the Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg and this morning trainer Jimmy Takter drove the Muscle Hill-Shared Past colt to a come from behind 1:59.1 win. Tokarov ($210,000, Muscle Hill-Christiana Hanover, Marcus Melander) went well today to be second and Go To Hill ($350,000, Muscle Hill-Habit Of Creature, Gingras) closed for third.

Maxus took the eighth for Takter. Another good looking Muscle Hill colt, this one from noted producer Gerri’s Joy sat just off the lead, took over as they straightened up and trotted away through the :29.2 end to the 2:00.4 mile as he pleased. Godspell Hall (Conway Hall-Garbo Hall, Scott Zeron) was a willing second.

My Man Stony (Corey Callahan) was an impressive 1:57.2 winner this morning. Callahan settled him mid-pack through the :59 half and 1:28 three-quarters then sent the colt after Storming Mist (Andover Hall-Athena Mist, Gingras) who has opened a stretch lead of several lengths, tracking that rival down easily. Captain Morgan (Cantab Hall-Muchness, Christian Lind) was third. William Wiswall and Pinske Stable paid $120,000 for My Man Stony, a son of Yankee Glide-Armbro Vanquish, at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

The 10th race winner was Unforgettable (Zeron), a Cantab Hall-Miss Otis Regrets colt from Britany Farms. He went a very professional trip, leaving to the top from outside, releasing Hill Street (Muscle Hill-Think Twice, Takter) through the middle fractions then brushing by that rival in the stretch for the 1:58.3 win in his very first try. Lindsey’s Pride (Credit Winner-Keepsake Hanover, M. Miller) was second. Unforgettable brought $22,000 last fall at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Don won today in 1:58 for Andy Miller and Julie Miller. The Credit Winner-Angostura colt rolled up on leader Zephyr Kronos (Ready Cash-Orange Kronos, Takter) as they passed the third-quarter station in 1:28.3, took command when that rival went off stride then held off a stretch rally from Farsetti Hanover (Donato Hanover-Finesse Hanover, M. Miller) for the score. Miller owns Don, a $50,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, with Jeff Gural’s Little E LLC. Fourth Dimension (Chapter Seven-Corazon Blue Chip, M. Melander) was third.

Gingras drove Samo Different Day to a 1:59.1 win with a :29.4 final quarter for Jimmy Takter in race 12. Canaletto Hanover (Andover Hall, Charlotte Alber, DR Ackerman) set the fractions until headstretch when pocket sitter Levitation (Kadabra-Southwind Amiga, Zeron) went to the inside off stride and Samo Different Day trotted up on the outside to win. Christina Takter and Samo Partners share ownership of the Cantab Hall-Lindy’sleadinglady colt, who was a $130,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale buy.

The Somebeachsomewhere-Olivette filly Eden (Gingras) opened the pacing races with a 1:57.2 win. She cut the mile and had enough left to hold No Mo Fo Joe’s (Roll With Joe-No More Loving, Tetrick) stretch bid at bay with a :28.3 final stanza. Eden was an $87,000 Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg purchase by Diamond Creek Racing and is trained by Nancy Johansson.

Sand Artist (Art Major, Parlee Beach, Tetrick) was a 1:56.4 winner for the Toscano barn converting a pocket trip and fighting off a determined bid by Michelle’s Jazz (Roll With Joe-Michelle’s Dream, George Dennis) through a :27.4 final quarter. She is owned by the partnership of South Mountain Stable, Little E and Highland Green Farms who invested $85,000 in her at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Hurrikane Shorty (Art Major-Speed Date, Jimmy Marohn Jr.) an $8,000 Goshen Sale yearling, held off the explosive late bid of the $550,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale filly Come See The Show (Somebeachsomewhere- Put On A Show, Tetrick) in this morning’s version of Davidia vs. Goliathess. Marohn sent his filly to the top through easy fractions them kicked in with a :27.3 last quarter to last over Come See The Show who was reserved until late stretch but had plenty when asked. Hurrikane Shorty is trained by Kevin Mc Dermott for the partnership of Jeff Gural’s Little E, LLC, Meadowlands GM Jason Settlemoir, Dave Stolz and Art Geiger.

Perry Soderberg’s California Cruisin (Gingras) just got up in the last few steps to catch Suddenly Sam (Somebeachsomewhere-Always True, M. Miller) in 1:55 with a last quarter in :29. Gingras gave him a nice trip and the colt kicked in when called upon for the win. The big Somebeachsomewhere colt from the $1 million winning dam of Jeremes Jet, Ohyouprettything, was a $65,000 Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg yearling.

Southwind Grizzly (Brett Miller) cut the mile and finished strong into the wind with a 1:55.1 time and a :28 final quarter mile score for the Tony Alagna barn. Huntsville’s little brother Wild Bill (Somebeachsomewhere-Wild West Show, Ray Schnittker) rallied well into the wind to get up for second. The winner is a Sportswriter-Gianna Hanover colt that cost John Fodera, Steve Wienick, Robert LeBlanc and trainer Tony $85,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg.

The Bob Key homebred Rock Lights went a nice mile for Jason Bartlett today, cutting the fractions then sprinting home in :27.3 under pressure from Somebaddude (Somebeachsomewhere-New Album, M. Miller) with the final time for the mile in 1:55.4. Andrew Harris trains the Rock N Roll Heaven-Nuclear Light K colt.

Speed To Market (Corey Callahan) posted a 1:56 win in his first try over the big track for trainer John Butenschoen. He’s from the first crop of Betterthancheddar and out of Road To Pandalay, who cost Wiswell, Goehlen and Schick $85,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. Bodega Bay (Vintage Master-Nikki Beach, Zeron) cut the mile and skipped off stride as they turned into the stretch but recovered nicely to get second. Spear Point (A Rocknroll Dance-Tell The Truth, Brett Miller) was third.

The Erv Miller barn wrapped up another good day with Karpathian Kid winning out of the pocket for Marcus in 1:55.1. It marked the second good effort for the homebred Somebeachsomewhere colt from the good race mare Vysoke Tatry for the Prushnoks, David Miller and Lawrence Means. Heavenly Sound (Rock N Roll Heaven-Frankie’s Dream, Andy McCarthy) was second in the last of today’s baby races.