The $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic, the richest race for New Jersey-sired horses, drew 17 entrants for Saturday's elimination races at the Meadowlands

Racetrack.

The top five finishers in each of the $25,000 eliminations will advance to the final on Saturday, June 12. Early season standout BGs Folly looks to regain his winning form in the second of the two eliminations. He will start from Post 9 (program No. 7) with David Miller at the lines. The George Berkner trainee romped to a 1:51.3 score in the $76,000 final of the Junior Trendsetter on February 20 before receiving two months off. After winning his first start off the layoff on April 17, his success was derailed by a series of lacklustre performances.

"BGs Folly is incredibly green," Berkner said. "What he needs is racing. I can't make him any better than he is right now. He had a period there where we were going around in circles. I was tinkering with head poles, and in the last race he won, he threw a shoe before the start and was walking on eggshells the whole mile. This past week, it was the first time that I didn't have to close my eyes when the gate left."

The colt appeared to turn the corner on May 29 as he finished a strong second to an older rival in 1:49.1.

"I had him in against older horses last week because that was the only race I could get for him," Berkner continued. "We've had a few soreness issues with him, right front, left hind, but now I have him back to what I thought he was."

Berkner, best known for campaigning the great BGs Bunny, bought BGs Folly as a yearling for $21,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg, PA. The colt made just two starts last year because of minor issues with his feet. Berkner and his training partner Sam DePinto turned the colt out for the season and focused on preparing him for an early return at three. BGs Folly enters the New Jersey Classic with a record of three wins in 12 starts for Berkner's wife, Ginny, and co-owners Martin Goldman, Chad Aaron and William Salmeri.

No eliminations were needed for the companion filly event, the $175,000 Thomas D'Altrui Miss New Jersey. The nine finalists are BJs Mayreau, Full Picture, Its Only Rocknroll, Lover of Art, Naughtytiltheend, Put On a Show, Rock N Soul, Rockaroundthetrack and She Just Rocks. Both races are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, which represents the thousands of breeders, owners, trainers, drivers and caretakers based in the Garden State.

The Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic was established by the SBOANJ in 1980 and renamed to honour a founding member in 2006. Abbatiello, a 1994 inductee into harness racing's Hall of Fame, was a member of the SBOANJ for more than four decades, including 14 years as president. The Colts Neck, NJ resident trained many past stars, including Newt Lobell and Taurus Romeo.

The companion race for three-year-old pacing fillies, which debuted in 1984, was also renamed in 2006 to the Thomas D'Altrui Miss New Jersey. D'Altrui, a resident of Union, and the master of DI Farms in Hillsborough, served 33 years as an SBOANJ board member, 22 years as vice president. His farm produced such top performers as Totally Ruthless, Sweet Reflection, Whosurboy and DI Starfire, and the broodmare Mommy Dear, whose foals earned more than $2 million.

The fields for the New Jersey Classic eliminations are listed below

$25,000 First Elimination - Race 3
HD, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer
1, 4, Woodstock, Tim Tetick, Noel Daley
1A, 6, Pike Hanover, Andy Miller, Erv Miller
2, 1, BJs Bequia, David Miller, Jeff Webster
3, 2, Valentino, Brian Sears, Lou Pena
4, 3, Shoobees Place, David Miller, Richard Norman
5, 5, Classic Rock Nroll, John Campbell, Larry Remmen
6, 7, Allthatgltrsisgold, Dave Magee, Bobby Brower
7, 8, Urgent Action, Richard Silverman, Jerry Silverman

$25,000 Second Elimination- Race 10
HD, PP, Horse, Driver, Trainer
1, 2, Foreign Officer, Yannick Gingras, Tony Alagna
1A, 7, World Of Rocknroll, Tim Tetrick, Richard Norman
1B, 8, All Speed Hanover, Ron Pierce, Noel Daley
2, 1, Sunshine Superman, George Brennan, Jeff Webster
3, 3, Cambassador, Ron Pierce, Steve Elliott
4, 4, Summer Camp, Andy Miller, John Butenschoen
5, 5, Piece Of The Rock, Tim Tetrick, Ron Coyne Jr.
6, 6, Dreamlands Art, Andy Miller, Keith Armer
7, 9, BGs Folly, David Miller, George Berkner

(Meadowlands)