Driver Joe Bongiorno and trainer Ron Burke teamed to win a pair of New Jersey Sire Stakes – Green Acres on Saturday, September 5 at Freehold Raceway.
Both events were pre-card, non-wagering races and both were $7,000 opening legs for three-year-old pacers.
In the event for fillies, Bongiorno guided Lissan to a wire-to-wire victory in 1:57 flat, finishing a length and a half in front of Smart Zone, with a nine-length margin to Callacam in third.
The colts and geldings split went to Edward Teach, who also had the lead at every call and crossed the wire in 1:55.3. He was two and a half lengths ahead of Devils Cut, with three lengths back to Rock Of The Ages.
Both winners were offspring of Rocknroll Hanover.
Lissan, owned by White Birch Farm of Allentown, New Jersey, picked up her second win of the year in 13 starts and has a career total of four wins, four seconds and four thirds from 20 starts for earnings of $44,538.
Edward Teach, who was winless at two, now has three wins, two seconds and one third in 14 starts this year and has finished in-the-money in six of 14 career outings, banking $60,650 for Dale Towle of Leamington, Ont.
All seven entrants in the Charles Smith Trot will advance to the $50,500 final on September 17 at Freehold. No eliminations will be needed. Three entrants – Crescent Fashion, Natural Kemp and Southwind Mozart – are from the stable of trainer Ake Svanstedt. Both Broken Record and Switchboard Hall are Ray Schnittker trainees. Mountain Top is conditioned by Noel Daley and P Mac Attack by Nancy Johansson.
(SBOANJ)