The inaugural edition of a new stakes event for New Jersey-sired two-year-old trotters named the ‘Garden State,’ which is a joint effort by the SBOANJ and the Meadowlands Racetrack, will make its debut this Saturday (Nov. 10).
The colts will race in the Saturday opener where three Father Patrick rookies will face three by Trixton for a purse of $50,000.
Reign Of Honor heads into the Garden State hot on the heels of his mild upset score in last week's $221,540 Kindergarten final. The Father Patrick gelding broke his maiden in style with the Grand Circuit stakes for owners Deo Volente Farms, Jennifer Dalton Stable and Tom Pontone. Nifty Norman trains and David Miller drives Reign Of Honor.
It is a very competitive group of seven in the $55,000 filly division, which is led by a pair of Trixton fillies, Evident Beauty and Princess Deo, both of whom have been in fine recent form.
Evident Beauty converted the difficult Red Mile double, as she won both weeks of Grand Circuit racing in 1:54.4 to go along with her runner-up finish in the Peaceful Way. Nifty Norman trains the winner of $178,582 for Mel Hartman, Little E and R A W Equine. David Miller has the drive.
Princess Deo raced to a win and a second in Lexington, then used a sharp close to nab the place spot in the Kindergarten filly final. She's at $145,546 seasonally for Deo Volente, Tom Pontone, John Fodera and trainer Noel Daley. Andy McCarthy will drive.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)