Prince of Tides Back in NJSS at Freehold Saturday
Posted 1877 days
The New Jersey Sire Stakes- Standardbred Development Fund (NJSS-SDF) series has been going on for more than a month at Freehold Raceway, but 3-year-old pacers will get their moment in the sun on Saturday.
Prince of Tides, the impressive winner of the Homegrown Pace over this track on September 21, is the clear headliner of the colts & geldings division. He won that race by 2 1/2 lengths, going a mile in an impressive 1:52.3. Earlier in the season, he was second in the Adios, behind eventual Little Brown Jug winner Southwind Ozzi. So far in his sophomore year, he’s won eight races, while earning more than $237,000. He’s likely to be the big favorite from post position five, for trainer Ross Croghan and driver George Brennan.
Trainers Nick Surick and Tom Fanning will do their best to conquer the favorite, as they’ll send out five horses between the two of them. Surick trains Trente Deo, who has post position one, Black Dan, who leaves from post position two, and Thelinestartshere, who drew post position four. Fanning has Homegrown runner-up Just Plain Loco, along with Cool Your Heels. They have post positions three and eight, respectively.
Mark witha K, Admiral Ballsy, and Reigning Deo round out the field. The race is scheduled as the fourth race, with a post time of 1:30 PM EDT.
The division for fillies attracted a field of seven, and is scheduled as the sixth race. The field features three of the four horses who contested the Homegrown for fillies on September 21. Stood Up finished second in that race, and rebounded with a solid win at Harrah’s Philadelphia on September 27. She has post position four for trainer Michael Hall.
Fear No Evil finished third in that race, for owners James Craparotta and Pat Berry, and trainer Traci Berry. She began her career with two wins in a row at Dover Downs, but has yet to find her winning form since then. She has post position two in this spot.
Hurrikane Loriann was fourth in the Homegrown, after making a break after the start. She won a leg of the NJSS at the Meadowlands in May, and won the Landmark at Goshen back in July. She’ll try to get the job done from post position three.
Hurrikanesky, the winner of the NJSS Final at the Meadowlands, will make her first start since June 17 in this spot. She qualified at Freehold twice in anticipation of this spot, most recently going the mile in 1:59. The Patrick Hlubik owned and trained filly will have the outside post, and will be driven by Jim Marohn Jr.
Surreality, the winner of the 2-year-old filly NJSS Final last year, Ponder the Odds, a winner of two races in a row at Yonkers Raceway and Pocono Downs, and Love Love Me Too complete the ensemble.
The first of twelve races at Freehold on Saturday is scheduled for 12:30 PM EDT.
