by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey

Freehold, NJ — Yankee Gospel and Wind Surfer, both sons of Muscles Yankee, won their respective $7,500 eliminations on Wednesday (September 12) and earned spots in the $90,000 Harold Dancer Trot for 2-year-old colts and geldings on September 19 at Freehold Raceway.

The top four from each six-horse elimination, carded as the third and fourth races, earned spots in the final.

In the first elim, Yankee Gospel ($3.40, $3.20, $2.20) scored his first career victory in his fifth start with a three-quarter length tally over Ringside Muscle ($5.60, $2.80) in 2:03.1. Orient Address ($2.20), who had a two-race winning streak snapped, was third by a length.

Yankee Gospel, driven by Jack Baggitt, Jr. and trained by Brett Bittle, races for David Scharf of New York City, Daniel Bittle of Frederick, Maryland and Perretti Farms of Cream Ridge, New Jersey.

Wind Surfer ($8.20, $4.20, $2.20), driven by David Miller and trained by Greg Peck, caught Lunar Dream OM ($6.00, $2.20) for a neck victory in 2:02.2 in the second elim. It was 1-1/2 lengths to Appalach Dream ($2.10), who had won his prior three starts, in third.

Wind Surfer improved his record to three wins in four starts. He races in the name of Perretti Racing Stable LLC of Cream Ridge, New Jersey and TLP Stable of Kearny, New Jersey.

Advancing to the final are five sons of Muscles Yankee (Yankee Gospel, Ringside Muscle, Captain Sparrow, Wind Surfer and Lunar Dream OM), two sons of Yankee Glide (Appalach Dream and Livin’ Out Loud) and one son of Dream Vacation (Orient Address).

The Harold Dancer, named in memory of one of New Jersey’s premier horsemen who died in 1982, was developed by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey to provide a stakes race for New Jersey-bred 2-year-old trotters.

Harold’s brother, Stanley Dancer, trained two winners of this event, At The Top in 1991 and Donerail in 1994.

The stakes record at Freehold of 1:59.1 was set in 2005 by Keystone Savage. When the race was contested at Garden State Park (1985 through 2000), the mark of 1:57.1 was established by Lindy Lane in 1995.

Only five fillies — Fantasy Yankee, Muscle Shirt, One Tough Lass, Sierra Marvel and Smart Dream — dropped in the box and all will advance to the $67,150 Harold Dancer Filly Trot on September 18.

The stakes record since the Harold Dancer Filly moved to Freehold in 2000 is 1:59 flat set by Lovely in 2005. While it was hosted on the mile track at Garden State Park, the stakes record of 1:57.3 belonged to Bobbi Jo Mac (1997).