Freehold to host pair of NJSS finals Friday

Freehold, NJ — Some possible stars of the future will descend on Freehold Raceway this Friday (Sept. 20) as the track will host two finals of the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Standardbred Development Fund for 2-year-old trotters. Each final will carry a purse of $70,000.

The final for colts and geldings features a field of eight, and is scheduled as the fifth race, with an approximate post time of 1:50 p.m. (EDT).

All eyes will be on the outside post, as undefeated Play Trix On Me will seek to add to his already impressive resume. After a sweep of the NJSS series over the summer at The Meadowlands, he scored a win in the second leg of the NJSS-SDF series at Freehold on Sept. 13. Jordan Stratton retains the drive on the Linda Toscano trainee.

His toughest rivals figure to be Barley, leaving from post four, and Kyrie Deo, who drew post position three. Barley won the first leg of the series on Sept. 6, before finishing a solid second behind Play Trix On Me last out. Eric Abbatiello will drive for Nifty Norman. Kyrie Deo recovered from a break at the three-quarters to win the first division of the second leg of the series last week. The John Butenschoen-trained gelding will be driven by Atlee Bender.

The final for fillies will be the seventh race, with a post time of 2:30 p.m. and also attracted a field of eight. Like in the colts and geldings final, the expected favorite will have to overcome the outside post. Common Sense S, a winner of four straight races, will seek to keep up her hot streak from post eight. She won the Tompkins-Geers and the Reynolds at Tioga Downs over the summer, before taking the second leg of the NJSS-SDF series last week at 1-10 odds. George Brennan will drive the Ake Svanstedt-trained filly for the first time.

The stiffest competition for Common Sense S is expected to be Contepartiro Deo, who won the first leg of the series on Aug. 30. She finished fifth behind Common Sense S at Tioga Downs in the Reynolds on Aug. 25. She’ll have post position three for team Andy and Julie Miller.

Heart N Soul Deo finished second in the first leg at 3-10 odds, and most recently was sixth in the Stallion Series final at Pocono on Sept. 9. Jordan Stratton will drive for trainer Linda Toscano.

In addition to the NJSS finals, Freehold will host the New Jersey Futurity, for 3-year-old trotters, as a non-betting race on Friday. The $30,000 race attracted a field of four and will be held at 12:15 p.m. No Drama Please, who won the NJSS-SDF final last year, headlines the group.

Post time for the first pari-mutuel race on Friday is 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

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