by Leon Zimmerman, for the New Jersey Sire Stakes

Trenton, NJ — Phase 2 of the 2010 New Jersey Sire Stakes program begins this week at Freehold Raceway featuring top state-bred Premier Division 3-year-old colt trotters racing on Friday (August 13) and 3-year-old pacing colts on Saturday (August 14).

The NJSS Freehold season actually opens on Thursday (August 12) with three Green Acres races, two nine-horse fields of 3-year-old pacing fillies and one eight-horse field of 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

The Premier Division races for 3-year-old colt trotters on Friday will feature Take My Picture (Classic Photo), winner of a recent $50,000 Townsend Ackerman division at the Meadowlands and runner-up in this year’s $573,770 Yonkers Trot. Trained by Taylor Gower for owners Joseph and Laurie Davino, the colt has earned $230,967 in purse money this year and $298,308 lifetime. He has a caereer best clocking of 1:54.1.

In the eight-horse field with Take My Picture is Senor Glide (Yankee Glide), a $308,259 career purse earner who was the NJSS 2-year-old trotting Colt of the Year in 2009. He is trained by Jimmy Takter for co-owners Christina Takter, John Fielding and Frederick Hertrich III.

A second eight-horse field includes Flex The Muscle (Muscles Yankee), who was second to Take My Picture in the Townsend Ackerman and second to the eventual 2010 Hambletonian winner, Muscles Massive, in the $200,000 NJSS Championship Final for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings at the Meadowlands.

Also in that field is Break The Bank K (Revenue), who was third in the $200,000 NJSS final. Trained by Trond Smedshammer for owner Robert Key, he has career earnings of $288,594, most of which came at two in 2009.

NJ-sired 3-year-old pacers will compete Saturday with separate divisional competition for fillies and colts and geldings.