Gold Rocks and Ideal Helen were both easy winners in their respective divisions of the Lou Babic Memorial on Saturday, September 7 at Freehold Raceway.

Gold Rocks captured the $96,200 Babic Open in 1:54.4 while Ideal Helen annexed the $61,900 Babic Filly in a stakes record 1:54.3.

Both stakes are for New Jersey-sired two-year-old pacers.

Gold Rocks ($2.20), a son of Rocknroll Hanover, was able to repel the challenge of Useful Hanover (by Western Ideal), to win by four and a half lengths in the ninth race. Rocknroll Reality (by Rocknroll Hanover) was third by seven and a quarter.

George Brennan was at the lines of the Tony Alagna-trained Gold Rocks, sent off at odds of 1-9. The colt paced the mile in a career-best 1:54.4.

Gold Rocks picked up his second straight win in four tries and lifted his earnings to $59,400 for Eagle Soar Partners, Alan Alber, Joe Sbrocco and Mystical Marker Farms.

Ideal Helen overcame a restart to win the Babic Filly, the third race, by three-quarters of a length over Beautiful Lady (by Rocknroll Hanover), whose broken equipment caused the recall. Rosie De Vie (by Western Ideal) was third by eight and a half.

Ideal Helen, a daughter of Western Ideal, settled into a two-hole trip until Marcus Miller sent her after Beautiful Lady, who cut the fractions. The final time of 1:54.3 eclipsed the stakes record of 1:55.1 set by Happy Dreamer in 2007.

Ideal Helen now has three wins and two seconds in eight tries. She has banked $72,380 for owner-breeder Don Van Witzenburg of Crest Hill, Illinois.

(SBOANJ)