Three $70,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Standardbred Development Fund finals took place on Friday, Oct. 6 at the Freehold Raceway half-mile oval -- two trot finals for two-year-olds and one for three-year-old pacing fillies. George Brennan drove two of the three stakes winners on the 11-race card.
In the seventh race final for three-year-old pacing fillies, Brennan steered 3-5 favourite Two Pistol Annie (pictured above) out of post four to the lead after battling Pembroke Southie and Austin Siegelman in the first turn. Once they cleared, Brennan and the young Lazarus N filly never looked back and continued to pace the mile in speedy fractions, arriving at the quarter pole in :26.4, the half in :54.4, three-quarters in 1:23.3 and completing the mile unchallenged in 1:52.4. Two Pistol Annie is trained by Izzy Estrada for Ontario owners Brenda and Tess Waxman. Pembroke Southie finished second for trainer Mark Ford and the Per Engblom trainee Devilish Dreams finished third with Jim Marohn in the bike.
Brennan came back to win two races later in the ninth race final for two-year-old male trotters with Poof Of Record for trainer Nifty Norman and owners Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, Ont., and Florida's David McDuffee. The 2-5 favourite Mr Grant, Seven Reps and Dryden Hanover battled early on and eventually settled in single-file in that order after reaching the quarter pole in 29 seconds. Poof Of Record and Brennan were not far behind them. The trotters reached the half in :59.3 and shortly after Brennan launched the Muscle Hill gelding to the outside and duelled the commanding Mr Grant and Jim Marohn past the three-quarters in 1:28.1 and down the stretch from first-over. Just before the wire, the D.R. Ackerman trainee Mr Grant broke stride. After a nail-biting inquiry, Mr Grant, who crossed the wire a neck in front in 1:57 was placed second and Poof Of Record was granted the win. Poof Of Record went off at 5-1 and paid $13 to win. Ron Burke trainee Seven Reps and Joe Bongiorno rounded out the top three.
The final for two-year-old filly trotters took place in race five where Corey Callahan piloted the Tactical Landing daughter Eloise to victory from post eight. After being parked out for most of the first quarter, Eloise and Callahan cleared at the :28.2 marker. The filly then opened up by four lengths and led the rest of the pack to the half in :58. As they passed the three-quarter pole in 1:27.4, Callahan and the Ron Coyne Jr. trainee faced pressure from 8-5 favourite Blazing Deo, who challenged from first-over with Brennan in the bike. Tactical Lori rallied late in the hands of Austin Siegelman but they couldn’t quite catch Eloise, who crossed the wire in 1:57.4 and survived an inquiry after taking a few missteps in the last turn for her third (consecutive) win. She was sent off at odds of 7-2 and paid $9 to win. Nifty Norman trainees Tactical Lori and Blazing Deo were second and third, respectively. Eloise is campaigned by the NewJersey-based Ron Coyne Stables along with partners Blair Corbeil of Leduc, Alta., and New York's Richard and Farrell Carney.
The stakes action in Freehold, New Jersey continues tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 7, with the SDF final for three-year-old colt pacers as well as the first leg of the SDF stakes for two-year-old filly pacers. Post time for the first race is 12:30 p.m. The last Thursday of racing this year at Freehold will be next week on Oct. 12, featuring the second leg of the SDF stakes for two-year-old colt pacers before the racing schedule shifts back to Fridays and Saturdays.
(With files from Freehold Raceway)