SS Poseidon, winner of the $40,000 Harold Dancer Trot, is the 6-5 morning line favourite in the $33,500 New Jersey Futurity for two-year-old trotters, the third race Friday afternoon at Freehold Raceway.
The Futurity, restricted to New Jersey-sired trotters, is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
SS Poseidon [Muscle Hill], coupled in the wagering with Firestop [Muscles Yankee], will leave from post one with Steve Smith driving for trainer Erv Miller. He has two wins, four seconds and a third in nine starts this year, banking $88,505 for Paymaq Racing of Long Grove, IL and Shim Racing LLC of Deerfield, IL.
Paymaq is co-owner of Firestop, driven by Eric Abbatiello and trained by Julie Miller. The partnership also includes Douglas Sipple of Georgetown, DE and Daniel Plouffe of Bromont, Quebec. Firestop has two seconds in six starts and leaves from post six.
The Ray Schnittker-trained entry of Broken Record and Switchblade Hall, both sons of Muscles Yankee, are rated 7-5 in the morning line. Broken Record, who will be driven by Schnittker, drew post two while Jordan Stratton gets the call on Switchblade Hall, leaving from post five.
Broken Record won the New Jersey Sire Stakes –Green Acres Final at Freehold on September 18 and finished third in the Harold Dancer Final while Switchblade was third in the Green Acres Final and second in the Dancer.
The Francisco Del Cid-trained and driven Mountain Top [Muscle Hill] starts from post three and is rated 7-1.
Two fillies will take on the colts in the open event.
Demons N Diamonds [Muscle Hill], who won the filly division of the Green Acres, is 4-1 in the morning line from post four with Daniel Dube in the sulky, and Contraire [Muscles Yankee] is 25-1 from outside post seven with Ake Svanstedt listed to drive.
Co-featured on the Friday card is the $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes – Green Acres Final for two-year-old pacing fillies, the eighth race.
Seven fillies are scheduled to go postward with Smart Zone [Rocknroll Hanover] rated the 7-5 morning line favourite from post two.
Steve Smith will handle the Erv Miller trainee, who is owned by Paymaq Racing and D&M Trading LLC of Chicago. She has a record of four wins, two seconds and two thirds from 11 starts and earnings in excess of $50,000.
Strut My Stuff, who captured the Lou Babic Filly in her last start, carries a three-race winning streak and is the 5-2 second choice from post three. Jack Baggitt, Jr. will drive the Ross Croghan-trained daughter of Western Ideal.
(SBOANJ)