Last week, Windsong Pioneer was looking for his second win in a row in the Preferred Handicap trot at Freehold Raceway. However, longshot Drazzmatazz surged up the inside and beat him by a neck.
Now, those two will square off in a rematch in this Friday's (May 14) Preferred Handicap trot. They headline a field of six that will go in the seventh race, scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Windsong Pioneer drew the outside post position, for trainer Paul Stafford and driver Austin Siegelman. He went gate-to-wire two weeks ago in the Preferred Handicap, winning by three lengths while trotting in 1:58 in windy conditions. This year, he's won five times from 14 starts, with earnings of more than $52,000. The highlight of his year came on April 7, when he won a division of the second leg of the John Brennan trotting series at Yonkers Raceway by a nose.
Drazzmatazz will leave from post position five, for trainer Vincent Stallworth and driver Luke Hanners. All three of his wins this year have come at Freehold. Last week, he trotted in 1:55.3, for a career-best mark.
Their competition includes Top Flight Angel, who finished fourth in the Preferred last week in his first start of the year, for trainer Julie Miller. In 2018, he finished second in the Breeders Crown Open Trot final, after winning the elimination the week before. Tyler Miller has the drive from post position four.
Kasha V went on a torrid streak last fall at Freehold, sweeping his way through the New Jersey Sire Stakes- Standardbred Development Fund series, while also winning the New Jersey Futurity and the Garden State trot. So far this year, he's picked up one win from 10 starts, taking a leg of the John Brennan trotting series at Yonkers on April 24. He'll leave from post position three, for trainer Tom Corelli.
Shoemaker Hanover, for trainer Tracy Tarantino, and Winneress, trained by Symon Spicer, complete the field.
First post time for the first of 10 races at Freehold on Friday is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
(Freehold)