Pair of Top Paces at Freehold Saturday

The entry cup runneth over at Freehold Raceway this Saturday (December 21), with a 12-race card featuring many big fields. The co-headliners will be two top level paces, including a $15,000 invitational handicap.

 

A field of eight will contest the invitational, scheduled as the eighth race. The outside two will likely be the favorites: Sunfire Blue Chip, coming off a third-place finish in the Preferred last week, and Goduko Hanover, who finished second by a neck in the Preferred at Yonkers Raceway two starts ago. The former is trained by Gary Candell, and will leave from post position seven. The latter drew post position eight for Scott DiDomenico.

 

Other headliners of that field include Triple Seelester, who has been dominating the claiming classes at Yonkers, Bullet Bob, the runner-up in the Preferred last week, Kimberlee, a mare in sharp form for Ake Svanstedt, and Clint Westwood, a dominant winner of the NW $6,000 last 5 class last week. 

 

The Preferred handicap immediately follows the invitational, and also drew a field of eight. Ideal One was assigned post position six, and while has yet to win a race stateside, he qualified sharply at Freehold back in November. The Doug Dilloian trainee will leave from post position six.

 

Mako Banner and Western Bayama, both coming from Harrah’s Philadelphia, were also assigned towards the outside. The former won a NW $10,000 last 5 contest there four starts ago, and finished third after a rough trip last out. He’ll leave from post seven for trainer Mike Russo. Ken Tisa sends outt he later, who is coming off four consecutive claims at the Pennsylvania oval. He’s won four out of his last five starts, to boot.

 

The first race at Freehold on Saturday is scheduled for 12:30 PM EST.