by Carol Hodes, for the New Jersey Sires Stakes

Freehold, NJ — Cold Cape Cod, the runner-up in all five of his previous starts, will make his next attempt to reach the winner’s circle in the first of three divisions of the New Jersey Sires Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts on Saturday (August 11) at Freehold Raceway.

It is the opening round of the pari-mutuel division of the New Jersey Sires Stakes, featuring three preliminary legs and an $85,000 final for each gait and gender for 2- and 3-year-olds.

A total of 23 freshman colts and geldings were split into Saturday’s trio of divisions, carded as races two, four and nine. Purses range from $20,333 to $20,833.

Cold Cape Cod, with Yannick Gingras scheduled to drive, is the leading money-earner among the entrants with $104,974 banked — all achieved with second-place finishes at the Meadowlands in both New Jersey Sires Stakes as well as a pair of open stake events — the Goshen Cup and the Niatross.

The Artiscape–Cold And Clear colt, trained by Tim Torbert, was a $30,000 Harrisburg yearling purchase for Robert L. Messick of Milford, Del. Bred by Perretti Farms, he is the half-brother to three who have banked more than $200,000 each — Macart (Artsplace), TSS Poseidon (Cam’s Card Shark) and Flo Found George (Dream Away).

McArdle and Squaw’s Fella share the New Jersey Sires Stakes at Freehold record for 2-year-old pacing colts of 1:54.4.