from the Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — The Meadowlands will present a glimpse into the future on Friday night (June 29) with the first leg of the 2018 New Jersey Sires Stakes for 2-year-old trotters and pacers.

While the Jersey-bred pacers are still few in number, with the colts off the card at 6:15 p.m. with a field of three and the fillies a single division of six in the second race, each for a purse of $15,000, the trotters are fortified by the progeny of two exciting first crop sires in Father Patrick and Trixton.

The 14 trotting colts split evenly into a pair of sevens, going as races four and six on the bill for a purse of $20,000 each. Trixton enjoys an advantage in numbers with a 10-4 edge among the entrants.

Greenshoe is the 2-1 morning line choice in race four off a pair of dazzling morning trials. The $330,000 Lexington yearling purchase by Anders Strom as Courant, Inc. sports a purple pedigree. The colt is by Father Patrick who is enjoying a remarkable start to his career as a sire and is the first foal from world champion mare Designed To Be. Greenshoe wowed the crowd in his first start on June 2 with a ridiculously easy 1:55 win for trainer Marcus Melander then returned two weeks later to win in a measured 1:56.1 for Brian Sears, who has the assignment on the colt from post six on Friday.

Trixton is well represented by his blazingly fast son Battenberg in division two. Three qualifiers, including a 1:55.4 win, have Battenberg sharp and ready to race for trainer Joe Holloway and driver David Miller. The colt has displayed an affinity for the lead and the stamina to make it last thus far. He’ll begin from post six for owners Crawford Farms and Val D’Or Farms who spent $210,000 for the first foal of the dam Coffeecake Hanover at Harrisburg last fall.

The filly division drew two equal fields of nine and they go as races nine and 11, also for a $20,000 purse.

Special Honor has a pair of qualifying race wins under her belt for Andy and Julie Miller. She converted perfect pocket steers by Andy each time for 1:58 wins with strong final quarters. Special Honor is a Father Patrick homebred, retained by Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld.

Whispering Oaks has been tabbed as the 5-2 favorite in the very contentious second division. An impressive winner in two morning trials, Whispering Oaks then disappointed the pari-mutuel crowd in her first try at night, going off-stride as the 2-5 favorite. Her connections, driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter, are well versed in the merits of her sire Father Patrick as they campaigned that champion throughout his career. Brixton Medical, Herb Liverman and R A W Equine bought her from the Lexington Yearling Sale at a price of $100,000.

But, that’s not all folks. World champion trotting mare Hannelore Hanover, currently at the top of the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown weekly poll, will face six accomplished rivals in the seventh race, a $20,000 Preferred Trot.

Those who stick around until the 12th and final will be rewarded by seeing three legitimate Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace contenders in Captain Deo, American History and Hayden Hanover looking for a fine edge going into next week’s eliminations.

And if that’s not enough the standard menu of guaranteed horizontal wagers and Jackpot Super Hi-5 with its carryover now at $265,472 await your gambling dollar. Download some free program pages here.