by Carol Hodes, for the SBOANJ

Manalapan, NJ — An Ake Svanstedt trainee won the $50,500 Charles I. Smith Trot for 3-year-olds, but it was not 2-5 favorite Southwind Mozart, who finished second, but rather 2-1 Crescent Fashion, who scored a 1-3/4 length victory in the featured third race on Thursday (Sept. 17) at Freehold Raceway.

In the $35,000 Harold Dancer for 2-year-olds, contested prior to the betting card, the Richard Johnson-trained Steed won with Daniel Dube driving.

Crescent Fashion scored in 1:56.4 in the Charles Smith.

The Smith and the Dancer are both restricted to New Jersey-sired trotters and are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.

Crescent Fashion ($6.20), driven by Scott Zeron, rallied first over to pass the fraction-cutting Mountain Top, who hung on for third by 7-1/2 lengths, and out-brushed Southwind Mozart for his third win in 10 starts this year.

All three top finishers are sons of Muscle Hill. The mile was clocked in 1:56.4.

Svanstedt’s third entrant, Natural Kemp, was fifth.

Crescent Fashion has finished in-the-money in six of 13 career starts and banked $88,198 for owners Laura K. Noren, Order By Stable and Howard Taylor. He is out of the Broadway Hall mare Fashion Feline.

Helene Gregory/World Wide Racing Photos

Steed held on for a 1:59.2 win in the Harold Dancer.

Steed, by Muscle Hill and out of Armbro Emma, was on the lead from gate-to-wire in the Harold Dancer, crossing the wire a half-length in front in 1:59.2, only two-fifths of a second off the stakes record of 1:59 established in 2010 by Chapter Seven.

A pair of Julie Miller trainees battled for second and third with Inukchuck Chuck, driven by Julie Miller, finishing ahead of Stayin Strong, with Eric Abbatiello in the sulky. Both are sons of Muscles Yankee.

Steed is owned by the partnership of TLP Stable, D’Elegance Stable IX, Vito Cucci and Carmen Iannacone. The gelding picked up his first win in his sixth career outings, with two seconds to his credit, for earnings of $26,347.