by Carol Hodes, for the New Jersey Sire Stakes

Freehold, NJ — Arbeedo ($11.60, $9.00, $9.60) got up in the final strides to reach the pacesetting Wildflower Hanover ($2.40, $2.40, $2.20) and finished in a rare dead heat for win in a $50,500 New Jersey Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday, August 30, at Freehold Raceway.

The two fillies were clocked in 1:56.4 in the featured fifth race mile.

Wildflower Hanover, a daughter of Western Ideal-Witchn Flight, was the odds-on favorite off of three wins and two seconds in her prior five starts. She now has four wins, two seconds and one third from nine outings.

Driven by Pat Berry, Wildflower Hanover is trained by David M. Smith and races in the names of Randall Bendis, Frank Castelli and Reed Broadway.

The bay filly has wins in rounds two and three of the New Jersey Sire Stakes series at Freehold, heading into the $85,000 final on September 6.

Arbeedo, a daughter of Artsplace-Shoobeedobeedo, was sent off at odds of 20-1 and rallied for her second career victory in her sixth start. She had won a $50,120 Molly Pitcher division on August 9.

Jeff Gregory was at the lines for Richard “Nifty” Norman who trains the homebred for David McDuffee. Arbeedo has been first or second in four of six starts. The 1:56.4 mile was a career best.

It was two lengths back to Red High Heels (Cam’s Card Shark-Streisands Place) in third.