Friday night featured the second leg of the New Jersey Sires Stakes (NJSS) for three-year-old trotters with the fillies and colts each competing in a single $25,000 race with next week's $100,000 finals as their target.
Nine fillies went to the post with last week's winner Mission Brief absent -- as she remained in the barn with her final berth secure -- and Rules Of The Road took full advantage of that circumstance.
The Muscle Hill filly from Right On Renee led all the way for David Miller through comfortable fractions and held off a serious bid from Model Behavior to win in 1:55. Rileys Dream was third.
Arden Homestead Stable and trainer Janice Connor share ownership of Rules Of The Road.
Guess Whos Back took another step on the Hambletonian trail with a measured 1:52.4 win over a game Canepa Hanover in the colt division.
Sent for the front early, Guess Whos Back led by the 55:3 half where Brian Sears deferred to the Jimmy Takter-driven Canepa Hanover, who was working his way up through a wind-aided sub-27 second quarter. Using the cover as a breather for his colt, Sears fanned his mount for the drive off the last turn and went by for a narrow win under his own power with a :29.2 final stanza into the wind. Aldebaran Eagle gained some late to be third.
Guess Whos Back moves onto the final as the horse to beat for trainer Nik Drennan and owners Joe Davino, Brad Shackman, TLP Stable and J&T Silva Stables.
Weeper won the $27,500 Mare Open Pace again, this time in a front-running effort for Yannick Gingras.
Allowed uncontested fractions, Weeper responded with a :26.4 close to the 1:50.3 mile. Inittowinafortune held second after a pocket ride and Coffee Addict was a gallant third after an uncovered charge at the winner around the final bend.
Jimmy Takter trains the winner for the Bay Pond Racing Stable.
Live racing resumes tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)