East Rutherford, NJ – Saturday mornings with Myron, known to most as Meadowlands qualifiers, took place this morning under overcast skies with temperatures in the 60's.
Opulent Yankee opened the day a winner in 1:54.2/27.2 as his owner (and track owner) Jeff Gural and wife Paula in attendance, joining with the usual collection of observers and horseplayers watching from the VIP suites. He tracked Handover Belle before shifting out a lane and going by with no encouragement from driver Andy Miller.
Opulent Yankee
By And By Hanover, a Muscle Massive filly from Brown Velvet trained and driven by Ake Svanstedt completing the double for Gural's Little E, LLC, was a 1:59.2 winner in the second race holding sway over a pair of Antonacci trotters, Lindy On The Rocks and Moni from Heaven.
By And By Hanover
Race three was an easy win for Show Biz Hall, a Deweycheatumnhowe sophomore in 1:56.1 for Scott Zeron. Lightly raced at two with a 1:55 record at The Red Mile the colt sashayed home in 27.4 in hand to the delight of trainer Tony Alagna and his eponymous ownership group.
Show Biz Hall
Mission Brief got back on track with a controlled 1:56.2/28.1 win, edging away on her own from Speak To Me for Yannick Gingras. The New Jersey Sires Stakes begin next Friday and would provide a comfortable starting point for the world record holding daughter of Muscle Hill should trainer Ron Burke and his partners Our Horse Cents Stable, J&T Silva and Weaver Bruscemi choose that route.
Mission Brief
Hambo eligible Guess Who's Back made a strong statement after the break with an effortless 1:53.3/27 win with Brian Sears aboard. Something of an enigma last season with flashes of brilliance compromised by equally frustrating inconsistency the Muscles Yankee colt looked rock solid in his second outing for trainer Nik Drennan and owners J. Davino, B. Shackman, TLP Stable and J&T Silva.
Guess Who's Back
Race 7 was the first pacing event of the day and contained several Meadowlands Pace eligible. Lyons Levi Lewis led all the way and held off the late rushing Penji Hanover in 1:52/27 for Gingras with ASAP Hanover a solid third. Winter book Pace choice Artspeak while well back early behind a gapper, was absolutely airborne late. Ron Burke trains the Well Said colt for Joshph Lyons-Mound.
Lyons Levi Lewis
Not to be outdone, In The Arsenal made his Meadowlands Pace case with an easy 1:53.2/26.3 breeze for Sears. Revenge Shark closed up to be second and National Seelster third. The winner is trained by Kelvin Harrison for White Birch Farms and In The Arsenal Racing.
In The Arsenal
Older horses were next and Great Vintage got up despite a very wide drift through a 26 flat last quarter to win over pacesetting Lyonssomewhere, the mile in 1:51. Gingras drove the old boy for Takter, et al. Rockeyed Optomist was a comfortable third. A few of these four-year-old are getting some work in anticipation of the upcoming Graduate Series opening leg at Tioga Downs on Memorial Day, May 25.
Great Vintage
Sophomore filly pacer Better Said won for Tetrick, Toscano and Brittany Farms in 1:53.3 from just off the pace picking off Luck Be A Lindy through a 27 flat final panel.
Better Said
Sassa Hanover was vicious in her second qualifier, riding a pocket through slow numbers then sprinting home a widening winner into 26.2 final quarter with Gingras driving for Burke, PanehellenicStable, Weaver Bruscemi and Larry Karr. Hollyrocker and Rock Her World followed her home.
Sassa Hanover
We wrapped with Witch Dali holding sway over Sandbetweenurtoes and Beach Story in 1:53.2/27.3 with Tetrick aboard for Alagna Racing and Brad Grant.
Witch Dali
Live racing resumes at The Meadowlands tonight at 7:15pm.
From Meadowlands Media Relations Department
