by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey

Manalapan, NJ — Elim winner Muscle Shirt has been installed as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the $70,000 Helen Smith Final on Friday, July 15, at Freehold Raceway.

Cat Manzi will once again drive the Chuck Sylvester-trainee, who trotted a lifetime best 1:58.2 to win last week’s elimination race.

Muscle Shirt, who will leave from post two, is one of five daughters of Muscles Yankee in the eight-horse final. The other stallions represented include Dream Vacation with two and Yankee Glide with one.

The elimination victory was the first win of the year for Muscle Shirt, and her fifth in 14 career starts. She has banked $77,260 for owners Irving Liverman Neal Goldman; Alan Caplan; and Keith Dickstein.

The Helen Smith is restricted to fillies sired by New Jersey stallions and is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.

The stakes record for the Helen Smith of 1:56.2 was set in 2002 by Fair Winds Farm’s Marla Bar (Malabar Man) with Jack Moiseyev driving for trainer Trond Smedshammer.

The field for the $70,000 Helen Smith, from the rail out with driver, trainer and morning line odds: Fancy Vacation, Andy Miller, Anette Lorentzon, 9-2; Muscle Shirt, Cat Manzi, Chuck Sylvester, 3-1; Meucci Madness, Trond Smedshammer, Trond Smedshammer, 6-1; Winbak Brat, Daniel Dube, Linda Toscano, 7-2; Kate Of The Art, Steve Smith, Karen Garland, 10-1; Punk Lady, Jason Bartlett, Paul Wojtowicz, 12-1; Winkys Magik, Yannick Gingras, Per Henriksen, 8-1; and Lunar Dream OM, Ron Pierce, Jimmy Takter, 5-1.

Originally raced as the Charles I. Smith Filly Trot, this stakes was renamed in 1995 to honor Smith’s wife, Helen. Charles I. Smith was a New Jersey harness racing pioneer, founder of the New Jersey Sire Stakes program and owner of trotters. Mrs. Smith was an active SBOANJ member for years and named an honorary member in 1992. She died in 1990 at the age of 90.