Fireintheshark and Dawns Legacy each turned in winning performances in two-year-old pacing divisions of the New Jersey Futurity on Saturday at Freehold Raceway.
The New Jersey Futurities are restricted to offspring of New Jersey-based stallions and are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
With only four starters in the $39,430 New Jersey Futurity for two-year-old colts and geldings, carded as the second race, the contest did not unfold until the quartet hit the backstretch for the second time and Fireintheshark, a son of Cams Card Shark, rolled up from last, overhauled Champs Folly [Artiscape] and held off McArdles Star [McArdle] to the wire.
Fireintheshark, driven by Jason Bartlett, paced the mile in 1:56.2. It was his fourth win with two seconds and five thirds from 14 starts. He returned $7.40, $2.10. There was no show wagering.
Trained by Jim Campbell, the colt has banked $169,437 for owners-breeders Arlene and Jules Siegel of New Hope, Pennsylvania.
McArdles Star [$2.40] was a length back in second and it was three and a quarter lengths to Champs Folly in third.
Dawns Legacy, who won the $82,410 Lou Babic Filly Final in her prior start, was paired with Hall of Fame driver Cat Manzi, who guided her to a perfect two-hole trip victory in the $40,430 New Jersey Futurity for fillies, the fourth race.
Frankies Dream [McArdle], who had won five of her first seven starts, cut the mile while Dawns Legacy [Western Ideal] was hustled up the pacing lane for the neck victory in 1:56.1, a career best.
Dawns Legacy returned $3.40, $2.60, $2.10 while Frankies Dream paid $4.40, $3.40 for second. It was two and a quarter lengths to Arbeedo [Artsplace] who was third, survived a judges' inquiry and paid $3.40.
Dawns Legacy now has two wins, three seconds and two thirds from eight starts and earnings of $75,120 for the partnership of Frederick Schwartz of Livingston; Shirley Schwartz of Totowa and Maureen and Stanley Kuchar's Shore Thing Stables LLC of Saddle River, New Jersey. Anthony Mannino is her trainer.
In other action, Dreams Are Real rallied in the final strides to catch Proper Respect and win the $85,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Saturday at Freehold Raceway.
Dreams Are Real, a gelded son of Artsplace, paced the mile in 1:55.1 on a track turned good by rainy weather.
Dreams Are Real sat third on the rail through most of the mile, finding room on the outside in the stretch to make his bid to catch Proper Respect [McArdle], who had put away Genuwine [Cams Card Shark] a few strides earlier.
Dreams Are Real [$13.40, $5.20, $7.80], driven by Jason Bartlett, was a neck winner over Proper Respect [$5.00, $8.40]. Genuwine [$17.60] was third by two and a half length. Favorite Meant To Be Me broke on the first turn and was placed last.
Dreams Are Real, racing in the name of the Michael Gulotta's MG Racing Stables LLC of Annandale, New Jersey, has finished in-the-money in all eight of his starts this year but this was only his third trip to the winner's circle and the first in a stakes. He was a $45,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase.
Overall, he has six wins, four seconds and three thirds from 18 starts and earnings of $97,633.
His trainer, Erv Miller, also campaigns the third-place finisher, Genuwine.
This is the final event of the 2008 New Jersey Sire Stakes program, which distributes about $7.5 million in purses annually.
(With files from SBOANJ & NJSS)