Little Michael B Wins $104,500 Babic Pace Final;Clear View Hanover Takes $60,500 Babic Filly Final

Posted 4823 days

Little Michael B made use of the passing lane to overtake the pace-setter All Stienam and win the $104,500 Louis Babic Memorial Open for two-year-old New Jersey-sired pacers by a neck in 1:56.3 Saturday (September 10) at Freehold Raceway.
In the companion $60,500 Babic Filly Final, Clear View Hanover (Western Ideal) won in 1:57.1 with Hall of Famer Catello (Cat) Manzi driving.  The races are sponsored by the New Jersey Sire Stakes Program in the State Department of Agriculture and named for a founder of the state-bred program.
With Daniel Dube driving, the son of Cam’s Card Shark sat behind All Stienam (Tell All) as he led from the start and set fractions of 28, 57.2 and 1:26.3.  Throughout the race, All Stienam put away two challenges, first by Bullet Bob (Tell All) at the quarter-mile mark and then by Verdad (Western Ideal) at the three-quarter pole.
It was the second victory in only three lifetime starts for the Josh Green-trained colt.  With the victory, Little Michael B has now earned $58,700 in his young racing career for the VIP Internet Stable and the Baron Racing Stable.  VIP Internet was also co-owner of the runner-up All Stienam, trained by John Butenschoen for VIP, Gary Bury and William Wiswell.
Verdad finished third.
Clear View Hanover closed strongly in the stretch to win by a length and half over My Ideal Hanover (Western Ideal), who was also closing. The pace-setting My Deal (Western Ideal) faded to third in the stretch after setting fractions of 28.1, 58.3 and 1:27.2. 
It was the second win in six starts for Clear View Hanover, trained by Abe Stoltzfus for owner Ernest Hartman.  The filly has now earned $38,110 in her brief racing career.

-courtesy Leon Zimmerman and New Jersey Sire Stakes