A pair of solid earners, Meladys Monet and Aunt Mel, headline the $45,000 New Jersey Futurity for three-year-old trotters on Friday, October 5, 2012 at Freehold Raceway.
Meladys Monet, a son of Revenue, will leave from post nine, the second tier, and is rated 3-1 in the morning line while Aunt Mel, a daughter of Yankee Glide, is the 4-1 second choice from post seven.
The New Jersey Futurity, restricted to New Jersey-sired horses, is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey. The open division for sophomore trotters drew five geldings and four fillies in the fourth race feature.
Meladys Monet, driven by Cat Manzi and trained by Taylor Gower, has four wins in his last five starts and finished in-the-money in 11 of 16 starts this year. His last tally was a week ago at Freehold in the first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Green Acres. He races for his breeder, Luca Balenzano of Pompano Beach, FL, and has a career bankroll of $39,123.
Aunt Mel, driven by Steve Smith and trained by Erv Miller, is the richest participant in the race with earnings of $235,345 for Mary Jane Anderson of Long Grove, IL.
This year the filly has seven wins, two seconds and two thirds from 17 starts, banking $94,420. She brings a two-race winning streak into the Futurity.
Friday’s Freehold card also includes the $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes-Green Acres Final for two-year-old trotting fillies, the ninth race.
Who Dat Girl by Muscles Yankee, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the six-filly field off of her back-to-back victories in the second and third preliminary legs of the New Jersey Sire Stakes. Jeff Gregory drives the Trond Smedshammer trainee.
(SBOANJ)