by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey

Manalapan, NJ — Muscle Shirt drew off to a 2-1/4 length victory, her second straight trip to the winner’s circle, in the $70,000 Helen Smith Final on Friday, August 15, at Freehold Raceway.

World Wide Racing Photos

Muscle Shirt was a 1:56.3 winner for Cat Manzi in the Helen Smith Final.

The daughter of Muscles Yankee–Paisley Yankee was driven to victory by Cat Manzi, who also won the 2005 edition of the Helen Smith with Ticket To Glide (Yankee Glide).

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

Muscle Shirt, who is trained by Chuck Sylvester, trotted the mile in 1:56.3, just a tick off the stakes record of 1:56.2 which was set in 2002 by Fair Winds Farm’s Marla Bar (Malabar Man).

Muscle Shirt has now banked $112,260 for owners Irving Liverman, Neal Goldman, Alan Caplan and Keith Dickstein.

Finishing second was Fancy Vacation (Dream Vacation) with Winbak Brat (Muscles Yankee) 2-3/4 lengths back in third.

Five of the Helen Smith finalists, including the winner, are daughters of Muscles Yankee, who is the nation’s leading money winning trotting sire of 2008, coming into Friday’s action, with earnings of $4,846,047 and 245 wins.

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.