by Carol Hodes, for the SBOANJ

Manalapan, NJ — Veteran driver John Campbell expertly guided a trio of first-time starters to victory in first round New Jersey Sire Stakes for 2-year-olds on Friday night (July 3) at the Meadowlands.

Hall of Famer Campbell won with filly pacer Rock My Girl in the $25,000 first race, colt trotter Jack Vernon in the $20,000 fourth race and colt pacer Boston Red Rocks in the $25,000 fifth race.

Lisa photo

Rock My Girl was a winner in a time of 1:53.3.

Rock My Girl ($9.20) was a 1-1/2 length winner over Blue Moon Stride. It was 3-1/2 lengths to Show Time Hill in third. All three fillies are daughters of Rocknroll Hanover. Trained by Casie Coleman, Rock My Girl paced the mile in 1:53.3, tossing in a last quarter in :27.1.

Owned by West Wins Stable, Adriano Sorella and Ron Broadstone, she was a $20,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase.

Jack Vernon ($6.60), a Muscle Hill son of Vernon Blue Chip, trotted his mile in 1:57.2, finishing a half-length ahead of Dominion Beach (Muscle Hill). Southwind Flash (Muscle Hill), who won both of his 2-year-old races and was the betting favorite, was third by three-quarters of a length.

Racing in the name of Miller’s Stable Inc., Jack Vernon is trained by Randy Beeckman and was purchased out of the Lexington Selected Sale for $50,000.

Boston Red Rocks ($5.80) was a 2-1/4 length winner over Katies Rocker. It was 2-3/4 lengths to Ideal Rocky in third. All three are sons of Rocknroll Hanover.

The Steve Elliott-trainee paced the mile in 1:53.2. Purchased for $50,000 out of the Harrisburg Sale, Boston Red Rocks races in the name of Rick Berks.

In other New Jersey Sire Stakes divisions for trotters, Southwind Frank ($3.00) won the $20,000 second race for colts and Hollywood Hill ($14.40) captured the $20,000 sixth race for fillies.

Southwind Frank, driven by Yannick Gingras and trained by Ron Burke, prevailed by a head over Brooklyn Hill in a stretch duel that featured a :26.3 final panel in a 1:56.3 mile. It was 2-1/2 lengths to Bar Hopping in third. All three are sons of Muscle Hill.

Southwind Frank, a $100,000 Lexington Selected Sale purchase, belongs to the partnership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Our Horse Cents Stables and J&T Silva Stables.

Hollywood Hill, driven and trained by Jimmy Takter, coasted to a 2-1/2 length tally over Southwind Adele. It was 3-3/4 lengths to Silvia in third. The three fillies are all daughters of Muscle Hill. The mile was timed in 1:56.2. The winner is owned by breeder Goran Falk.

In the last division, the $20,000 ninth race for trotting fillies, Gifted Lady ($4.40) was a length winner over Dream Child in 1:57.4. Skara Brae was third by 5-1/2 lengths. All three fillies are daughters of Muscle Hill. Jimmy Takter drives and trains Gifted Lady for owner-breeder Silver Linden Farms.

The 2-year-olds have another week of prelims before meeting in $100,000 finals on July 17 at the Meadowlands.