An 11-race session of Breakfast With The Babies at The Meadowlands on Saturday (June 27) was followed by a number of established stars putting in impressive prep miles.
The $145,000 Lexington price tag of trotting colt Southwind Tyrion appears to be warranted, as the two-year-old debuted victoriously and fastest of all the eight baby races for trotters. Trainer Ake Svanstedt positioned the first-time starter in the pocket behind Bidensky (Mattias Melander) through fractions of :29.1, :58.2 and 1:27.3 before right-lining in the stretch and confidently trotting past the tempo-setter to win by two lengths in 1:55.3. Bidensky stayed for second with Take This Society (Brian Sears) in third.
Svanstedt co-owns Southwind Tyrion (Muscle Hill - Taylor Jean) along with SRF Stable of Lighthouse Point, Florida.
Caviart Lotus raised some eyebrows a week ago with a :25.4 closing quarter in his qualifying debut, and he showed that speed was no fluke in his second on-track test. Dexter Dunn dropped the pacer in the pocket behind pacesetter Stellar Yankee (David Miller) through fractions of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:26.1 before pulling the pocket and the head of the lane and sprinting home in :26.4 to win comfortably in 1:53.1 over stablemate JK Objection (Yannick Gingras) with Stellar Yankee just back in third.
A homebred son of Betting Line from Lunar Tide, Caviart Lotus is owned by Caviart Farms of Vienna, Va. Nancy Takter trains.
Some established stars closed out the qualifying card with fine-tuning performances. The 2019 Breeders Crown-winning Ramona Hill (Andy McCarthy) was out for her second qualifier of the season after a 1:53.4 score at Gaitway Farms on June 15, and she was victorious again on Saturday in 1:53.1 for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Brad Grant of Milton, Ont., Crawford Farms Racing of Syracuse, N.Y., Robert Leblanc of Austin, Tex. and In The Gym Partners of Staten Island, N.Y.
Making his third appearance of the year, EL Ideal (Andy Miller) was a gate-to-wire winner in 1:52.4 over divisional winner Real Cool Sam (David Miller). The 2019 Valley Victory champ is trained by Ake Svanstedt for Emp Invest Oy of Lahti, Finland.
Papi Rob Hanover was making his third appearance of the season as well and he sharpened for a likely appearance in the 2020 Meadowlands Pace with a brisk 1:50.3 score, closing in :26.1 for driver David Miller, trainer Brett Pelling and owner David Mc Duffee of Delray Beach, Fl.
Pelling and Miller also teamed with Dan Patch Award winner When Dovescry, who repelled debuting Swedish import Betting Gangster S (Ake Svanstedt) to win her second qualifier of the season in 1:55.3 for owners Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation, Que., Dumain Haven Farm of Pine Bush, N.Y., Singh And Soulsby of Powell, Oh. and John Lengacher of Grabill, Ind.
Last but certainly not least, the fastest pacer of 2020 Kissin In The Sand (Yannick Gingras) uncorked a :25.3 final stanza in a 1:49.1 tightener for trainer Nancy Takter and owners Marvin Katz of Toronto, Ont. and Hatfield Stables of Columbus, Oh.
For the results from Saturday's qualifying session at The Meadowlands, click one of the following links: