Freehold Raceway's got a great 12-race card on tap for Saturday (Sept. 28). The afternoon action will be highlighted by a pair of stakes for two-year-old pacers, which will serve as the co-features.
The Renaissance Final for two-year-old pacing fillies has been carded as Race 6 and carries an approximate post time of 2:10 p.m. (EDT). A field of seven is scheduled to face the starter. The race will feature the top six finishers from last week's elimination (Ready Set Rock received a bye into the final). Lucy Lightyear looks like the likely favourite, having won three races in a row during the Freehold meet. She won the final of the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Standardbred Development Fund for two-year-old pacing fillies on September 14, and followed that up with an easy gate-to-wire victory in her elimination. She's had the luxury of inside posts in those three races, but will have to start from Post 5 on Saturday. Stacy Chiodo trains and drives for owner Timothy Tobias.
Her biggest rival looks to be Ready Set Rock, who was second by a head to Lucy in the NJSS-SDF final. She'll line up in Post 6 for trainer Kevin Lare. Tony Alagna will be sending out two entrants: Odds On Hollywood and Caviart Heather. The duo finished second and third in the elimination, respectively.
Freehold will also host the final in the NJSS-SDF for two-year-old male pacers. Columbo, winner of the Renaissance on September 14, will seek to rebound from his disappointing fourth-place finish in the second leg last week. The Linda Toscano trainee drew Post 2 and will be driven by Jordan Stratton. Rockin The Gates has won the first two legs of the series and will be looking to complete the sweep on Saturday. He will start from Post 6. George Brennan will drive for trainer Steve LeBlanc.
Other contenders in the eight-horse field include Rockin Jukebox, an upset winner of the other division of the second leg last week, Follow Your Heart, a first-leg winner seeking a rebound off two straight poor efforts, and Villiam, who won the NJSS Final in July at the Meadowlands Racetrack. The tilt has been programmed as Race 8, which carries a scheduled post time of 2:50 p.m.
The first race at Freehold on Saturday will be at approximately 12:30 p.m.
(With files from Freehold Raceway)