by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey

Manalapan, NJ — EL Rock, who won the $75,000 Charles I. Smith last month, will bid for another stakes credit when he faces seven other New Jersey-sired 3-year-olds in the $40,000 New Jersey Futurity for trotters on Friday (Oct. 7) at Freehold Raceway.

The gelded son of Yankee Glide has three wins in 11 starts this year, banking $68,650 toward a career total of $75,635 for ACL Stuteri AB of Paris, Ky. The Anette Lorentzon-trained trotter will be driven by George Brennan, leaving from post five with morning line odds of 7-2.

The New Jersey Futurity is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey. Additional New Jersey Futurity stakes are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 14 (2-year-old trot) and Saturday, Oct. 15 (2- and 3-year-old paces).

This year’s 3-year-old open trot has drawn four colts and three fillies as well as one gelding. The fillies are Taya’s Photo, Don’t Cry Lindy and Pure Barre.

Four stallions are represented: Classic Photo (Big Sky Storm, Taya’s Photo and Pure Barre), Yankee Glide (Take Heart, EL Rock and Justa Jersey Boy), Chocolatier (Don’t Cry Lindy) and Windsong’s Legacy (Winuendo).

The field for the $60,000 New Jersey Futurity (eighth race) on Friday, from the rail out with driver, trainer and morning line odds: Big Sky Storm, Jordan Stratton, Chris Marino, 3-1; Take Heart, Steve Smith, John Butenschoen, 9-2; Winuendo, Jeff Gregory, Ray Schnittker, 6-1; Taya’s Photo, Eric Abbatiello, Erv Miller, 12-1; EL Rock, George Brennan, Anette Lorentzon, 7-2; Don’t Cry Lindy, Jack Baggitt, Jr., Linda Toscano, 8-1; Justa Jersey Boy, Jim Marshall III, Paul Jessop, 5-1; and Pure Barre, Cat Manzi, Thomas Gonsalves, 10-1.

Sharing the spotlight on the Friday afternoon program with the New Jersey Futurity is a $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Green Acres Final for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings, featuring unbeaten Market Share. The son of Revenue S-Classical Flirt, driven by Jeff Gregory and trained by Linda Toscano, has swept the three preliminary legs of the New Jersey Sire Stakes Green Acres division.

Additional Green Acres champions will be crowned at Freehold on Thursday and Saturday. The 2-year-old trotting fillies headline the sixth race on Thursday while the Saturday program features the 2-year-old pacing fillies in the seventh race and the 2-year-old pacing colts in the ninth race.