Dont Sugarcoat It won the featured $26,000 Ken Fischer Memorial Final while a spill in the fourth race marred closing day of the winter-spring meet at Freehold Raceway on Saturday.
“All the horses are in good shape and the drivers competed in later races,” reported Freehold’s PJ Iovino, the assistant racing secretary. “It was the only accident we had all meet.”
The fourth race spill was triggered when Medoland Big Cam, driven by Nick Surick, broke and fell. Also falling were Urbino Hanover with Jack Baggitt Jr., Newsam with Steve Smith and Mister Barnett with Mark Lewis.
The balance of the field was impeded when the track could not be cleared in time and the race was declared a 'No Contest.' Wagers were refunded and seven of the eight starters -- Medoland Big Cam was excluded -- will receive $814 in purse money, according to Iovino.
The four finishers, in order, were Lemon Drop Hall with Jim Pantaleano, Mr Bigglesworth with Mark Sheridan, CR Fixed Asset with Kyle DiBenedetto and Stoman with Vince Ginsberg.
In the 10th race, Yannick Gingras guided Dont Sugarcoat It to a half-length victory over Big Red in 1:54.4.
The Ron Burke trainee, the odds-on favourite, had the lead at every call and held on for his ninth win in 15 starts this year. The four-year-old gelding, who swept the three-week Fischer, is leased by Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
Major Beach was third by eight and a half lengths.
Live racing resumes at Freehold on August 29.
(SBOANJ)