East Rutherford, NJ---For trainer Jimmy Takter, one of his favorite days of the year is the first day he brings his 2-year-olds to their first qualifiers. After his stable captured seven of Saturday morning’s (June 6) 11 events for the newcomers at the Meadowlands, it is easy to understand his enthusiasm.
Takter won with 2-year-old female trotters Sunset Glider and Twice Is Right, 2-year-old male trotters Earn And Burn and Bar Hopping, 2-year-old female pacers Pure Country and Sonoma Valley, and 2-year-old male pacer Youth.
“I love this,” Takter said. “When you’re sitting all winter and you develop these horses, it’s a little bit like a report card when you go out there. I know it doesn’t mean anything to win, but I like the horses to go out there and perform. Some horses you have to teach to race from behind, but I want them to go out there and stay on top of their game.”
Winning qualifiers among the 3-year-olds and older horses were star pacers Foiled Again and JK She’salady.
Bar Hopping (Muscle Hill-Cocktail Hour) posted the fastest time among the 2-year-old trotters, winning by a half-length over stablemate Jimmy William (Cantab Hall-Solveig) in 1:58.2 with a :28.3 last quarter. The colt was purchased for $190,000 (under the name Revenger) at the Standardbred Horse Sale. He is a full brother to 2014 New Jersey Sire Stakes runner-up Martiniwithmuscle and his family includes Dan Patch Award winner Jef’s Spice and stakes-winner Cumin.
Jimmy William is a homebred half-brother to Trotter of the Year Shake It Cerry as well as Uncle Lasse, and full brother to stakes-winner Dontyouforgetit.
Sunset Glider (Cantab Hall-Highland Glider) won by a neck over Charlie Norris-trainee Stage Presence (Muscle Massive-Stage Fright) in 2:00.1. Twice Is Right (Donato Hanover-Think Twice) was a neck better than stablemate All The Time (Muscle Hill-Cantab It All), also stopping the timer in 2:00.1.
Earn And Burn (Donato Hanover-Borrow And Spend) won by five lengths over stablemate Dominus Hanover (Muscle Massive-Dornello) in 2:01.4.
Marcus Melander won two qualifiers for the 2-year-old trotters.
Filly Lucky Kristen (Lucky Chucky-Ms Kristin) benefitted when Takter’s Kathy Parker went offstride in the stretch. Lucky Kristen won by a half-length over Sharon’s Luck (Lucky Chucky-Southwind Flanders) in 2:02. Melander’s colt Brownie Hanover (Donato Hanover-Born To Love) needed no help, winning by seven lengths over Takter’s Ducci (Cantab Hall-Nothing But Moni) in 1:59.
“They both qualified great; I was happy with them,” Melander said. “I’ve got seven babies and the three that I had in here today have been training very good all winter. I think they’re pretty good horses. I think they’ll make some money this year.
“They’re staked to a lot of races. I think they’ll be there in some big final. The Lucky Chucky filly will be a great New York horse. She can go around half-mile tracks with no problem. The 'Donato' colt just does everything so easy. Of course, there are many good horses, but he’s a good horse, too.”
Also winning among the 2-year-old female trotters was Synonymous Hanover (Andover Hall-Sweetr By The Bone) in 1:59.3 for trainer Norris.
Takter’s female pacer Pure Country posted the fastest time of the day for the pacers, winning in 1:55.4. Pure Country (Somebeachsomewhere-Western Montana) won by two lengths over stablemate My Lady Love (Well Said-Trim Hanover).
Sonoma Valley (Rocknroll Hanover-Art’s Vintage), who was purchased for $325,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale, won by a nose over stablemate Ivy League (Somebeachsomewhere-See You At Peelers) in 1:56.3. Sonoma Valley is a three-quarter sister to $2 million-earner Vintage Master.
Youth (Western Ideal-Society’s Child) captured his qualifier by 1-1/4 lengths over Nancy Johansson’s Mac’s Star (Somebeachsomewhere-Knock Three Times) in 1:58.3.
“I was happy with most of them,” Takter said of his 2-year-olds. “All the trotting colts were very, very good; and the pacing fillies. Pure Country is scary. She’s a scary horse.”
Jeff Gregory’s colt Fast N Victorious (Art Major-Yankee Luck) wrapped up the day for the 2-year-olds by winning by 1-1/2 lengths over Joe Holloway’s