Marohn Jr. Continues to Dominate the Afternoon Delight
Posted 115 days
After scoring five wins on opening day at harness racing’s “afternoon delight”, Freehold Raceway last Friday, Jimmy Marohn Jr. continues to be a dominant force at the half-mile oval. Marohn won 7 out of the 21 races held last weekend. He put up similar numbers this weekend, visiting the winner’s circle after 6 of the 21 races held over Friday and Saturday this week, including a grand slam today (Aug. 31). This improves Marohn Jr’s win percentage at Freehold in 2024 to over 25% and his UDR to .354. Despite the late start in driving this year due to recovering from an injury that left him sidelined until the end of February, Marohn has climbed his way up the leading driver list to sit in second place at 64 wins, just 4 wins behind the leader, Austin Siegelman.
He wasted no time securing wins today, as he tactfully won race one aboard the William Clark Jr. owned and trained Paprike Bluechip, following cover all the way into the stretch to then battle passed him just before the wire.
In race two, Marohn guided the highly backed Clayton’s Bettor N to a wire-to-wire victory for trainer Nick Sodano.
After finishing second by ½ length in race three, Marohn came back in race four to get the job done with the Paul Stafford trainee, Like A Shadow for another wire-to-wire victory at 8-5.
Marohn saved his fourth and most impressive win for his last drive of the card in race ten where he steered Spirit Of Truth to victory for the second week in a row. The duo got away sixth from post five. After finding himself almost 8 lengths off the leader at the quarter pole, Marohn only continued to close the gap smaller and smaller as the race progressed. He opted for a spot in the third-over position just after the field passed the half. When they hit the three-quarter pole, still sixth from the lead, Marohn sprung into action, urging his horse three-wide around his competitors in the final turn. As the field blanketed across the track in the stretch, it seemed like anyone’s race but Marohn and the Brian Magie trainee had the most late kick and got up to win by a neck. At 6-1, a win bet paid $14. This was the 35th lifetime victory for the 12-year-old war horse owned by Judy Magie.
Spirit of Truth wasn’t the only horse to earn a back-to-back win on the card, though. Mike Shults’ Flying Tiger broke his maiden last week in his tenth lifetime start and had a repeat victory today with Shults in the bike, both trips involving a wide move around the field in the final turn. A win bet on this pair to repeat paid $12.60.
Live harness racing at Freehold Raceway returns next Friday and Saturday starting at 12:30pm. Next weekend will be the last time the track races only two days before the addition of five weeks of Thursday racing to make for three days per week starting September 12 and ending October 10. Thursday races will also have a post-time of 12:30pm.
