Three-year-old trotters will be in the spotlight at Freehold Raceway this weekend, with fillies split into two divisions of the Lady Suffolk on Friday and seven colts going postward in the Dexter Cup on Saturday afternoon.
Dontyouforgetit, despite having drawn the outside Post 7, has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favourite for the $139,600 Dexter Cup, which has been contested since 1960 and has annually been an early-season showcase for great champions.
Yannick Gingras will be handling Dontyouforgetit for trainer Jimmy Takter and Solveig’s Racing Partners of East Windsor, New Jersey. At two, the colt finished first or second in eight of 10 starts and banked $337,837 (to read an HRC story on Dontyouforgetit, click here).
This will be Dontyouforgetit’s season’s debut after having prepped in three qualifiers --- the last two having been winning efforts while sporting trotting hobbles. Both were nine-length wins, one at Freehold and the other at the Meadowlands.
New Jersey-bred King Muscles drew the rail and is fresh off a decisive victory at Freehold on April 19. The Aaron Lambert trainee, owned by J&T Silva Stables of Long Beach, New York, will be paired with driver Andrew McCarthy. He is ranked 6-1 in the morning line.
The stakes record of 1:55.3 was set in 2009 by Anders Bluestone.
The field for the Dexter, carded as Race 9, from the rail out with drivers, trainers and morning line odds, appears below.
1 - King Muscles, Andrew McCarthy, Aaron Lambert, 6-1
2 - Il Pizzaiolo, Ray Schnittker, Ray Schnittker, 8-1
3 - Stirling Bullet, Cat Manzi, Paul Wojtowicz, 10-1
4 - Celebrity Maserati, Tom Jackson, Susanne Strandqvist, 9-2
5 - Celebrity Stimulus, Steve Smith, Susanne Strandqvist, 7-2
6 - Dewey Luvs Britt, Kevin Oscarsson, Jim Oscarsson, 5-1
7 - Dontyouforgetit, Yannick Gingras, Jimmy Takter, 5-2
With 11 entrants, the Lady Suffolk for fillies was split into two divisions; five in a $39,000 division carded as non-wagering with a post of 12:15 p.m., and the other six vying for $40,900 in the third race on the program.
In the betting event, Hauln Fanny, driven by David Miller and trained by Misty Miller, is rated the 8-5 morning line selection.
Owned by David and Misty Miller, Hauln Fanny had two wins and a second in seven starts for earnings of $67,458 at two. This will be her 2013 debut. She will start from the rail position.
New Jersey-sired Vida De Vie, a daughter of Muscles Yankee bred and owned by Joie De Vie Farm of Jobstown, New Jersey, captured the $25,000 Green Acres Division Final of the New Jersey Sire Stakes last October at Freehold. She has a second in two starts this year and has a career total of three wins, three seconds and one third from 14 starts, and has banked more than $43,000. She is listed at 8-1 in the morning line from Post 5 with Daniel Dube driving for trainer Chris Ryder.
The field for the Lady Suffolk's betting division, from the rail out with drivers, trainers and morning lines, appears below.
1 - Hauln Fanny, David Miller, Misty Miller, 8-5
2 - Audio, Ray Schnittker, Ray Schnittker, 5-2 *
3 - Parlia Hanover, Andy Miller, Julie Miller, 6-1
4 - Casting Couch, Jeff Gregory, Ray Schnittker, 5-2 *
5 - Vida De Vie, Daniel Dube, Chris Ryder, 8-1
6 - Bouncing Bax, Howard Parker, Jim Raymer, 4-1
(* - Audio and Casting Couch are coupled in the wagering)
The field for the non-wagering Lady Suffolk division, from the rail out with drivers and trainers, appears below.
1 - MCs Diamond, Carlo Poliseno, Carlo Poliseno
2 - Caneel Hall, Jeff Gregory, Ray Schnittker
3 - Feather Your Nest, Andy Miller, Norm Parker
4 - Daytona Blue Chip, Ray Schnittker, Ray Schnittker
5 - Lola DeVie, David Miller, Chris Ryder
The Lady Suffolk stakes record of 1:57.3 was established by Stacy Spice in 1996.
(SBOANJ)