Time To Kill and Southwind Cocoa were a pair of easy winners in the divided Marion Dancer Stakes for two-year-old New Jersey-sired trotting fillies on Thursday, September 6 at Freehold Raceway.
John Campbell sent Time To Kill off cover in the final turn and drew off to win the first division, the $30,750 fifth race, by four and a half-lengths over Connie Keeper. The first two finishers are both daughters of Muscles Yankee. It was five and a half lengths to Find The Magic by Chocolatier in third.
Even-money favourite Time To Kill, trained by Ross Croghran, trotted the mile in 1:59.3, three-fifths of a second off the stakes record. It was the filly’s first win in six career starts along with a trio of second-place finishes. She improved her earnings to $64,350 for the ownership of the Let It Ride Stables and Robert Cooper Stables, both of Boca Raton, Florida.
Southwind Cocoa, a daughter of Chocolatier, coasted to a two-length victory over Southwind Sauna while Muscles Secret was three and three-quarter lengths back in third in the $29,250 eighth race. The second and third-place fillies are by Muscles Yankee.
The odds-on favourite, Southwind Cocoa was driven to victory by Jeff Gregory for trainer Linda Toscano and now has three wins and one third in seven starts, banking $98,585 for Richard Gutnick of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.
Southwind Cocoa adds the Marion Dancer victory to her New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship.
The Marion Dancer is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
A pair of Lou Babic Finals are on tap on Saturday afternoon at Freehold. Babic Prep winner Ideal Carver by Western Ideal has been installed as the 3-1 morning line favourite in the $106,700 Babic Open, the sixth race, while Panera Hanover by Rocknroll Hanover gets the 3-1 nod in the $68,900 Babic Filly, the eighth race.
The Lou Babic Stakes are for two-year-old New Jersey-sired pacers and are sponsored by the New Jersey Sire Stakes.
(SBOANJ)