As a man from Freehold once said, "it's been a long time coming, but now it's here."
Idle since March 7 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its typical summer break, Freehold Raceway is back in action this Friday (Aug. 28) with a 10-race program. The card is highlighted by the first division of the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Standardbred Development Fund (NJSS-SDF) for three-year-old trotting fillies.
The likely favourite in the field of eight is Tricky Sister, trained by Andrew Harris and in rein to Pat Berry. She has kept good company this year, most recently finishing third in the Zweig at Vernon Downs ahead of Hambletonian Oaks winner Sorella and behind Ramona Hill and Hypnotic AM. Last year, she won the NJSS-SDF Final for two-year-old trotting fillies over this track, and followed it with a score in the New Jersey Futurity. She will leave from post 8 on Saturday in the seventh race, scheduled to go at 2:30 p.m. (EDT).
In addition, the card also features the Preferred Handicap Trot, scheduled as the eighth race. A pair of Yonkers Raceway invaders headline the field: Meladys Monet and Stormy Kromer. The former is coming off a win in the Preferred at Yonkers, where he trotted a mile in a season's best 1:53.3. He has post 7 for trainer Hermann Heitmann and driver George Brennan. The latter won four in a row earlier in the year before fading after a wide trip last out. Daniel Dube drives from post position 8 for trainer Paul Stafford.
First post time on Friday at Freehold is 12:30 p.m. (EDT).
(Freehold Raceway)