Ontario-owned Ideal Carver wired his fellow New Jersey-sired freshman colts to win the $106,700 Lou Babic Memorial Stake on Saturday at Freehold Raceway.
Fresh off a victory in the Lou Babic Prep last weekend, Ideal Carver took the lead from post five and cruised past panels of :28.1, :58, and 1:26.2 en route to a one and a quarter length victory in 1:55.2 with Jim Pantaleono in tow. Only The Lonely and David Miller advanced first over to place while To Beach His Own and Ray Schnittker rounded out the top three finishers.
The 1-5 favourite paid $2.60 to win.
Casie Coleman trains the Western Ideal-Yankee Scandal gelding, a $27,000 Harrisburg Sale yearling purchase, for the West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Ont. and Steve Calhoun of Chatham, Ont. The victory gives Ideal Carver a career record reading 4-1-1 in seven starts with purse earnings totalling $75,735.
Later on the card, Panera Hanover also used front-end tactics to take the $68,900 filly division for driver David Miller and trainer Julie Miller.
The Rocknroll Hanover-Paris Hanover filly established the lead from post two and carved out fractions of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:26.4 before opening up five lengths on her foes to win in 1:56.4. Prep winner O Narutac Rockette, with Pantaleono in the bike, pulled the pocket at the third quarter mark, but made a costly miscue taking herself out of contention. Certified Ideal and Steve Smith came on for second, but were disqualified and placed back to seventh for causing interference to True Reflection and Dan Dube at the start of the race. Campanile Hanover and Jason Bartlett inherited second and 132-1 longshot Daisyofadeal, with Kyle DiBenedetto in the sulky, moving up to third.
The 3-5 favourite returned $3.20 to her backers.
Panera Hanover, now two-for-three in her career with $43,450 banked in purses, is owned by the Pinske Stables of Plato, Minnesota. She was a $12,000 Harrisburg Sale yearling.