by Leon Zimmerman, for the New Jersey Sire Stakes

Trenton, NJ — The first round of New Jersey Sire Stakes Premier Division competition for 2-year-olds will carry total purses of $440,000 on Wednesday and Thursday (July 8 and 9) at The Meadowlands.

New Jersey-sired freshman trotting and pacing fillies will be racing for $219,800 on Wednesday night, while the 2-year-old colts and geldings will vie for $220,200 on Thursday night. For almost half of the horses entered, 31 of the 72 trotters and 26 of the 52 pacers, it will be their first pari-mutuel starts and purses will range from $33,100 to $58,500.

The highest purses will be $58,500 in two races for 2-year-old trotting fillies. There will be three races for the trotting colts and geldings with purses of $34,600 in one and $34,100 in the other two.

For the 2-year-old pacers, there will be three races for colts, $40,800 for one and $40,300 in each of the other two. The freshman pacing fillies will compete in one division for $32,600 and two others for $33,100 each.

Among the filly pacers competing Wednesday will be Lover Of Art (Artsplace), winner of the $71,662 Debutante at The Meadowlands on July 1 in her only career start.

Previous pari-mutuel winners in their first starts among the colts are trotters Break The Bank (Revenue S) and Flex The Muscle (Muscles Yankee), each winners of divisions of the Harriman Cup at The Meadowlands on July 2; pacers Blue Rock (Rocknroll Hanover) and Mr Salvatore Fra (Western Ideal), each victorious in divisions of the Goshen Cup on July 2; and two sons of Rocknroll Hanover, Whole Lotta Shakin and Rock Holiday, winners of overnight conditioned races at The Meadowlands.

The NJSS series for 2-year-olds will conclude July 23 with $800,000 in four championship finals of $200,000 each, largest purse total in any one night of N.J. Sire Stakes races in history.