by Don Bielak, publicity director, Freehold Raceway
Freehold, NJ —Shaun Vallee and Richard Hernandez’ Sudden Strike A got a perfect trip and rallied to win the featured $18,000 Invitational handicap for pacers at Freehold Raceway on Saturday.
David Miller drove Sudden Strike A quickly from the gate at the start and settled into second as the pacesetter, Desert Sign (Cat Manzi), led the field through fractions of :27.4, :57 and 1:26.2 for the first three-quarters of a mile.
Desert Sign continued to lead around the final turn and into the stretch, but Miller put Sudden Strike A under right-hand urging and the seven-year-old Panorama gelding responded with a late surge to surpass the leader and win by a length in a final time of 1:55.2. Desert Sign finished second and it was another three and one-quarter lengths back to Keystone Rodeo (Jim Morrill, Jr.) in third.
The Invitational victory was the seventh win in 33 starts this season for Sudden Strike A. The Shaun Vallee-conditioned veteran returned a win mutuel of $8.40.