Muscolo, looking for his first win of the year, nipped Kingstone for a nose victory in the $80,000 Charles Smith Trot on Friday at Freehold Raceway.
It was just about a year ago when the son of Muscles Yankee and Vernon Blue Chip won a New Jersey Sire Stakes–Green Acres preliminary leg at Freehold on September 16, a week after winning the $60,000 Harold Dancer Trot.
On Friday Muscolo, driven by Mike Lachance and trained by Ray Schnittker, was making his 10th start of the year in the featured eighth race. He has five wins, two seconds and one third in 18 starts, banking $136,119 plus another $1,800 for finishing third in a Racing Under Saddle event on July 28.
A $205,000 Harrisburg yearling sale purchase, Muscolo races in the name of the Guida Racing Stable of Jupiter, Florida and TLP Stable of Kearny, New Jersey.
Kingstone (by Revenue), who cut the mile, was second best in the 1:57.4 mile. It was a length and three-quarters back to World Cup by Yankee Glide in third.
The Smith is restricted to New Jersey-sired three-year-old trotters and is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
The Smith shared the Friday afternoon program with two $25,125 divisions of the New Jersey Futurity, also sponsored by the SBOANJ.
In the two-year-old pacing filly division, Panera Hanover, by Rocknroll Hanover, was the length winner in 1:56.3. Driven by Andy Miller for trainer Julie Miller, odds-on favourite Panera Hanover extended her winning streak to three. The runner-up was Certified Ideal, a daughter of Western Ideal. And it was eight and a quarter lengths to Get The Look, by Cams Card Shark, in third.
Unraced at two, the filly has made four starts and banked $56,102 for the Pinske Stable of Plato, Minnesota. She annexed the $68,900 Lou Babic Filly last week at Freehold.
In a non-wagering division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings, All Day Ray, by Tell All, driven by Eric Abbatiello for trainer Ron Burke, was the two and three-quarter length winner in 1:56.4. A pair of sons of Rocknroll Hanover finished second and third with Rockaholic edging out Public Enemy.
All Day Ray picked up his first win in six tries for Ringer LLC and Michael Ringer, both of Washington, Pennsylvania.
(With files from SBOANJ)