by Leon Zimmerman, for the New Jersey Sire Stakes

Trenton, NJ — The leading 2-year-old New Jersey sired pacers will be racing for a total of $165,000 on Saturday (September 10) at Freehold Raceway in the Lou Babic Memorial Open and Babic Filly finals.

In the $104,500 Babic Memorial Open Pace Final, Verdad (Western Ideal-Jennie Fanetta) and All Stienam (Tell All-Odds On Stienam), two colts who were awarded byes from an elimination race based on their purse earnings, are favored at 3-1 and 7-2, respectively, over Mortal Zin (Rocknroll Hanover-Zintillating), who won the elimination in 1:55.2 and is listed at 9-2.

Denyittotheend (Tell All-Youcancountonme) and Mikeleh (Western Ideal-Diamond Mil), winners of Babic Filly elimination heats in 1:56.1 and 1:56.2, respectively, will try to duplicate those performances in the $60,500 Babic Memorial Filly Pace Final. They are favored at 3-1 and 7-2, respectively.

The Babic Memorials are sponsored by the New Jersey Sire Stakes program for state-bred 2-year-old pacers. The races are named for the late Louis Babic, a founder of the NJSS program and long-time Standardbred owner.

Mortal Zin, who won the Babic Open elimination starting from the rail, drew the outside post eight for the final. All Stienam, who drew post three, won a race at Tioga Downs in 1:54.2 last month. Verdad, starting from post six, tuned up for the Babic Open final with a 1:57 victory in a conditioned race at Freehold.

The field, from the rail out, consists of: Shark On Board (Cam’s Card Shark), 8-1; Narragansett (Rocknroll Hanover), 10-1; All Stienam (Tell All), 7-2; Little Michael B (Cam’s Card Shark), 6-1; Bullet Bob (Tell All), 5-1; Verdad (Western Ideal), 3-1; Divulge (Tell All), 12-1, and Mortal Zin (Rocknroll Hanover), 9-2.

Both Denyittotheend and Mikeleh had the rail in their elimination heats, but drew posts five and seven, respectively, for the final.

My Ideal Hanover (Western Ideal-Mydancecardisfull), who had a five-race winning streak snapped in one of the elimination heats, drew post six for the final.

Post positions for the Babic Filly Final field, from the rail, are: Clear View Hanover (Western Ideal), 10-1; My Deal (Western Ideal), 9-2; Rock With Delight (Rocknroll Hanover), 12-1; Rockin Reese (Rocknroll Hanover), 8-1; Denyittotheend (Tell All), 3-1; My Ideal Hanover (Western Ideal), 5-1; Mikeleh (Western Ideal), 7-2; and Regal Rock (Rocknroll Hanover), 6-1.