For the second time in less than a month Tony Verruso and Slated To Win scored a victory in the American Harness Drivers Club Trot at Freehold Raceway.
Today (March 6) they were victorious in 2:00.1. Three weeks ago, Verruso guided the five-year-old Uncle Peter gelding to a victory in an earlier leg of the trotting series also at the New Jersey half-miler.
When the gate sprung in today's contest Verruso gunned his trotter to the lead from the six-hole and they looped Always A Good Time and driver Joe Faraldo, who had started from post four.
“My horse leaves good and I fired him up when the gate sprung and he trotted to right around Faraldo's horse and we had command before the quarter,” Verruso said via phone after the race. “Once on the lead he was on the bit so I let him ramble.
“After a :29.4 first quarter Always A Good Time seemed content to be on the limb and Joe (Faraldo) wasn't pushing the pace so we got by the half in one-minute flat.”
The leaders remained one-two by the three quarters as the timer flashed 1:30.3. However, when they rounded the final turn and straightened for home Always A Good Time started to fade and Tony Beltrami hustled Big Smoove up alongside Slated To Win and the two were joined by Dark Pool (John Calabrese) and the three battled all the way to the wire.
At the finish Slated To Win was a length better than his rivals and went on to a 2:00.1 victory. Big Smoove was second best and Dark Poole was a head farther back for the show dough.
Slated To Win is owned by George Beck and trained by Symon Spicer. He paid $9.60 to win.
The saying that March comes "in like a lion" certainly applies to Jim Marohn Jr. He won four races on the Saturday card, the first Saturday of March at Freehold Raceway.
Marohn got his first win of the day in Race 2, as he went gate-to-wire on Sword Ofthe Spirit for trainer Lewis Nunes. After two runner-up finishes, he got another win in the seventh, as Ron Coyne-trained Ozone Blue Chip won going away.
He completed the hat trick in upset fashion, guiding Ari Allstar to a come-from-behind win in Race 10 at 61/1 for trainer Julius Czermann Jr. That's the biggest longshot to win at the Freehold meet so far.
There were no surprises in Race 11, as Marohn polished off his grand slam with an easy win on favoured Dream On Dream On, for trainer Ray Ahto.
Marohn also won two races on Friday's card, making for a six-win week to begin March at Freehold. His 34 wins are good for second place in the driver standings, trailing only Austin Siegelman.
Live harness racing resumes at Freehold on Friday (March 12), starting at about 12:30 p.m.
(AHDC / Freehold)