Pacing colt Capt Midnight (Andy McCarthy) was an impressive 1:53 winner in the last 2-year-old race of the morning, leading all the way, then sprinting home in :27 to hold off the bid of pocket sitter Bombshell Hanover (Andy Miller) and an up the rail threat from Captain Nemo (Tim Tetrick). The Captaintreacherous-It Was Fascination colt was following up his 1:52.3 win of June 15 and looked like there was plenty left in the tank today. Tony Alagna trains the colt, a $350,000 Hanover Shoe Farms bred, Standardbred Horse Sale yearling for the partnership of Marvin Katz, Ken Jacobs, Brad Grant and Capt Midnight Racing.
Jula Champagne opened the card a winner for the potent combo of Yannick Gingras and Per Engblom as driver and trainer, respectively. The Trixton-Sweetspellosuccess filly set even fractions, then finished the 1:58.2 mile with a :28.4 final quarter in hand over Questichap (Trond Smedshammer) and Sashay Kemp (Marcus Melander). Jula Racing Inc. owns the $85,000 Standardbred Horse Sale yearling purchase, bred by Windsong Stable.
Adriano Sorella, in town to see his Jimmy Freight finish a very game second in a Graduate division Friday night, was present, bagel in hand, Saturday morning to watch his namesake (though he has no ownership interest), the Muscle Hill-Kadelia filly Sorella (Christian Lind) win from the pocket in 1:59. She tracked Eye On The Hill (Andy McCarthy) through reasonable numbers then tipped off that rival in the stretch and went by willingly. Gertrude Hanover (Steve Smith) was third. The winner is conditioned by Steffan Lind for breeder Elmer Fanin and his partner on the filly, Crawford Farms Racing.
The Muscle Hill-Lock Down Lindy filly Ramona Hill (McCarthy) looked great, trotting confidently by rivals the widest of all, her final quarter in :27.4 to end the 1:57.1 mile to pick up Jula Beauty AM (Gingras) at the wire. Never Content (Andy Miller) was third. Tony Alagna trains the winner for owners Brad Grant, Crawford Farms Racing, Robert LeBlanc and In The Gym Partners. She was a $70,000 Lexington Selected Sale yearling bred by Crawford Farms.
Around a million dollars worth of trotting fillies comprised race four with Synergy (Gingras) clearly the best of the lot, scoring a front end 1:56.3/:28.2 with something left. EL Ideal (Andy Miller) followed along to be second while Beyond Kronos (Tim Tetrick) closed nicely in hand to get third. Synergy (Father Patrick-Southwind Sauna) was a $275,000 Lexington Selected Sale buy, bred by Southwind Farms and trained by Per Engblom for Brittany Farms, John Fielding, Herb Liverman and David Anderson.
The colt Ready For Moni (Gingras) made an impression on the bagel and lox crowd with a come from behind 1:56.1 win, trotting home in :27.2 to track down Back Of The Neck (Brian Sears) and mile cutter Gangster Hanover (Svanstedt). Ready For Moni is by the international star Ready Cash out of Nothing But Moni, bred by Moni Maker Stable and bought in Lexington for $220,000 by John Fielding, Lindy Farms Of Conn, Herb Liverman and Bud Hatfield. Per Engblom trains.
Ake Svanstedt unleashed his Muscle Hill-Amour Heiress colt King Alphonso with a front end 1:58.1 mile, trotting home in :28 by 7-3/4 lengths. Stablemate Words Matter (Andy Miller) stayed for second while Platoon System (Tetrick) rallied a bit late to get third. Ake Svanstedt Inc. owns King Alphonso with Bender Sweden, Little E LLC and Doug Sipple. The $110,000 Standardbred Horse Sale yearling was bred by Order By Stable.
Beads (Andy Miller) inherited the lead on the backstretch when Cantab Cadet went erratically for a bit, then bore wide himself off the final bend yet held sway over the fast finish of Chestnut Hill (David Miller) to get the 1:59.2 win. Beads is an Archangel-Nepentha colt bred by Atlantic Trot and Steve Stewart, then purchased by Renee Spahr. The $60,000 Lexington Selected Sale yearling comes from the Svanstedt barn.
The pacers started with race eight where Brad Grant’s Sweet Lou-Bolt Of Thunder filly Lady Lou (McCarthy) won right back for trainer Tony Alagna in 1:54.1 after a 1:54 score two weeks ago. McCarthy put her on the lead past the quarter, she then moved away willingly through the :28.1 last quarter. Coconut Beach (Marcus Miller) was second and Watchful Eye (Dexter Dunn) third. Lady Lou was a $55,000 Standardbred Horse Sale yearling bred by Robert Hamather.
Reflect With Me made it two straight for McCarthy, Alagna and Grant (this time in partnership with breeder Brittany Farms) when she flew home to get up very late over Shebesailin (Dunn) in 1:55/:26.2. It was the third morning trial for the daughter of Captaintreacherous-Remember When who went through the Lexington ring for $120,000.
Seriously Hanover (Tetrick) was powerful in a 1:54.1 front end performance with a :26.4 kicker to hold off Choir Master (Dunn) and Rockin The Gates (Gingras). Aggressive throughout, Seriously Hanover went under the wire in the grips for Tetrick and trainer Mark Harder. Michael Cimaglio, Stephen Demeter and Stephen Giagni own the Western Ideal-Stolly Up Bluechip colt, a Hanover Shoe Farms bred $92,000 Standardbred Horse Sale yearling.
Manchego (Dunn) was out for her first go on Lasix Saturday morning and she looked fantastic. Restrained right to the wire, she floated along through the three-quarters in 1:24.2, the ripped off a :26.3 final quarter to finish it off well within herself in 1:51.
Bettor’s Wish and Dunn wrapped it up with an ultra-impressive 1:51.3 prep for the upcoming Meadowlands Pace, storming home in :26.2. Mac’s Power cut it and held second in only his second seasonal appearance while Captain Ahab went an encouraging race in finishing third, all three with an eye on the Pace.
Live racing resumes at 7:15 p.m. Saturday evening with the WineFest leading the promotions.