This weekend Freehold hosted $10,000 first legs of the New Jersey Sire Stakes Standardbred Development Fund for Two-Year-Olds.
On Friday, the Julie Miller trainee Contepartiro Deo lunged past the odds on favourite, Heart N Soul Deo to win the first leg of the SDF for Two-Year-Old filly trotters. Andy Miller set Contepartiro Deo in the two hole for a pocket trip behind the favourite. The daughter of Muscle Hill took her first win of the season in 2:00.0 for owners Andy Miller Stable Inc., Little E LLC and Deo Volente Farms LLC. Heart N Soul Deo was a close second with Tricky Sister finishing third.
The Two-Year-Old SDF pacers took the stage at Freehold Raceway on Saturday with two divisions for colts and fillies alike. The first two legs took place as non-betting races before the actual racing card.
Follow Your Heart took the first division for colt pacers on the day in the non-betting race for trainer Aaron Lambert. George Brennan steered the Rock N Roll Heaven colt to a wire to wire victory in 1:57.4 last quarter in :28.4. Southwind Dredge finished second and Rockin Jukebox came in third.
The fillies first division of leg one went to the Tony Alagna trainee Odds On Hollywood, giving driver George Brennan his second win of the day. The Captaintreacherous filly nosed out AP Emilys Dance in 2:00. Ready Set Rock finished third.
The second division for the pacing colts on the regularly scheduled racing card was won by Rockin The Gates for trainer Steve Le Blanc. Driver Andy Miller pulled Rockin The Gates behind odds-on favourite Columbo for a second over trip and then surged past him in the lane to stop the clock in 1:56.2. This makes win number two for the Rock N Roll Heaven colt and a new lifetime mark. Columbo finished second with JK Lucky Charms coming in third.
The final division of the first leg of SDF for filly pacers was once again won by driver George Brennan and trainer Tony Alagna with Caviart Heather. She stalked the field from the fifth position to make a late move in the stretch to take the win in 1:57.3. The Somebeachsomewhere filly captured her first win of the season for owners Caviart Farms. Git Go came in a close second with Lucy Lightyear finishing third.
The SDF action will continue next weekend at Freehold Raceway on Friday and Saturday with post times of 12:30 p.m.
(SBOANJ)