The lucrative 2009 New Jersey Sire Stakes racing season begins Friday and Saturday at the Meadowlands with purses totaling $249,000 for three-year-old pacers in the Premier Division.
Each of three divisions for fillies on Friday night and three divisions for colts and geldings on Saturday night will carry a purse of $41,500.
“With only seven horses in each division, most of this first group of Sire Stakes eligibles will be taking home a healthy purse cheque,” said Christopher Castens, NJSS executive director. “With $200,000 championship finals, we should have more $100,000 winners than we have ever had in the history of the Sire Stakes program.”
Among the leading eligibles in the NJSS races for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers is Drop Red, who finished second in the recent $230,000 Berry’s Creek Pace final at the Meadowlands. The son of Red River Hanover, bred at Perretti Farms in Cream Ridge, New Jersey, is trained by co-owner Robert Horowitz. Randy Perry co-owns the colt, who has Post 4 in Race 2 on Saturday with George Brennan driving.
Leading contenders in Race 3 on Saturday are All American Improv, a son of Artiscape and McArdles Star.
All American Improv, a son of Artiscape, won two legs of Sire Stakes competition at both the Meadowlands and Freehold and the $27,127 Tompkins Geer Stakes at Tioga Downs as a two-year-old last year. McArdles Star, sired by McArdle, won the $128,875 Lou Babic Memorial Pace and an NJSS preliminary leg, both at Freehold.
Among the fillies facing off in one division on Friday night will be two daughters of Western Ideal, Special Sweetheart and Jkmusicofthenite. Special Sweetheart earned $165,286 at two with a victory in an elimination heat and second-place finish in the final of the $462,150 Three Diamonds at Woodbine and a second in a Breeders Crown elimination at the Meadowlands. Jkmusicofthennite won NJSS preliminary legs at the Meadowlands and Freehold and a $50,120 Molly Pitcher division at Freehold in 2008.
Other top eligibles in the other separate filly divisions are Red High Heels, a daughter of Cams Card Shark who was second in both NJSS Championships at the Meadowlands and Freehold as a two-year-old, and Wildflower Hanover, sired by Western Ideal, who won two NJSS preliminary legs at Freehold last year, one of which was a dead heat.
(NJSS)