Two $94,595 New Jersey Sire Stakes Standardbred Development Fund finals for three-year-old trotters were held at Freehold Raceway on Thursday, Oct. 3.
The final for fillies took place in race six and was won by Southwind Banshee (pictured above) and driver Johnathan Ahle. Leaving from post position three, they settled in fourth in line in the first turn and were content there until the field reached the half when Ahle decided it was time to make the trek to the front. He pulled Southwind Bandshee to the first-over position and the pair worked their way to the front. By the time they reached the three-quarter pole in 1:26.1, they trailed the leader, Eloise, by just half a length. Eloise, the 8-5 second choice, didn’t give in easily, as she continued battling into the stretch but then faded as they approached the wire. Southwind Banshee continued on to win in 1:55.2, just two-fifths of a second shy of the divisional track record that she set in the first leg back on Sept. 12. Tove Palema closed off her cover to finish three-quarters of a length back in second while Eloise finished third.
At 3-2 odds, a win bet on Southwind Bandshee paid $5. Jacquie Ingrassia trains the Muscle Hill daughter for Arden Homestead Stable. The filly earned her fourth win of the season from 15 starts.
In the following final for colts and geldings, Seven Reps and Austin Siegelman got lucky with the draw and left from post one. After winning the Garden State Trot and then winning the first leg of this stakes event in his last two starts, the Ron Burke trainee was bet down to 2-5 odds. It was no surprise then to see Seven Reps cruise around the track for a wire-to-wire win in 1:55.1 in a 10-length romp.
Seven Reps, a son of Muscle Hill, is now four-for-17 on the season for owners Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Lawrence Karr and Jandt Silva - Purnel And Libby. He paid $2.80 to win.
Custom Fit and Robinhood finished second and third as the only other trotters to remain flat the entire mile in a race that was marred by an accident near the third quarter mark. Mr Grant, driven by Jim Marohn Jr., and Gillys De Vie, with Joe Martin, hooked wheels while racing down the backstretch behind the top trio. Marohn was unseated as Mr Grant ran into the infield. After the race, the track announcer reported that Mr Grant was caught by the outrider. Marohn did return to action in the following race.
Racing resumes with more NJSS action and $70,000 USD finals on Friday and Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m.
(With files from Freehold Raceway)