Freehold, NJ — Anthony Verruso and Yogi Sheridan both scored front-stepping wins in taking their respective $9,000 divisions for the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Trot at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (May 18).

Anthony Verruso with Call Me Thefireman winning the first AHDC division. Vicki Wright/ World Wide Racing Photos.

In the first division, Anthony Verruso sailed down stream with Call Me Thefireman to a 2:00.2 victory. Leaving from post two, Call Me Thefireman cleared the lead to a :29.3 first quarter while facing a first-over push from 9-5 favorite Dingle (driven by Yogi Sheridan), who failed to find a seat at the cones and stayed stuck uncovered on the rim. Dingle continued to up the pressure on Call Me Thefireman through a 1:00.4 half and three-quarters in 1:30.4, but the overland journey proved too taxing on the spin for home. Call Me Thefireman cut the corner and edged away from Dingle to a 1-1/4-length win with Limerance (Dawn Anderson) riding the cones to take third and Target Practice (Seamus Quill) following suit in fourth.

Symon Spicer trains Call Me Thefireman, an 8-year-old gelding by Wishing Stone, for owner Anthony Verruso. He paid $13.60 to win.

After finishing second with the chalk, Sheridan came back one race later to deliver with favored Lionhead in 2:00.2. Sheridan grabbed the lead from post six past a :29.2 first quarter from Overserved (Ned Urbanski). Lionhead endured little challenge to a 1:00 half and three-quarters in 1:29.4 while maintaining his speed through the final turn. Holding a sizeable cushion rounding for home, Lionhead strode over the line to a length win while chased home by Winneress (Anthony Verruso) in second. Overserved faded to third and Masster Blue (Paul Minore) gave chase in fourth.

Terry Morgan owns and trains Lionhead, an 8-year-old gelding by Uncle Peter. He paid $5 to win.

AHDC action concludes for the Freehold season with the final on Saturday (May 25). First-race post time at Freehold is 12:30 p.m. (EDT).