by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey

Manalapan, NJ — Lucky Chucky, a son of Windsong’s Legacy, and Costa Rica, a daughter of Muscles Yankee, have been installed as the morning line favorites in the Valley Victory and Goldsmith Maid on Sunday, Sept. 6, at Harrah’s Chester.

While the 2-year-old trotting stakes may have migrated across the Delaware to Chester, the Garden State is well represented in the $450,000 finals. Both Lucky Chucky and Costa Rica were bred by Perretti Farms of Cream Ridge, N.J.

Lucky Chucky, driven by John Campbell and trained by Chuck Sylvester, is the 7-5 morning line pick in the Valley Victory, carded as the tenth race.

The bay colt has four wins in five starts this year, including divisions of the Harriman, Peter Haughton elims and his Valley Victory qualifier. His only loss was a third-place finish in the $523,600 Peter Haughton Final on Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands.

A $10,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase, he has already banked $105,596 for Sylvester and partners Neal Goldman and Amy Lynn Stoltzfus.

Other New Jersey-sired finalists in the Valley Victory are Temple of Doom by Yankee Glide and Flex The Muscle by Muscles Yankee.

Costa Rica, the 3-1 favorite in the Goldsmith Maid, the eighth race, has been first or second in all eight of her starts this year, earning $332,230. Her victories included both New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship Finals — the $200,000 event at the Meadowlands on July 23 and the $100,000 at Freehold on August 26.

The $23,000 Harrisburg Sale purchase took her mark of 1:56.4 in her elim for the Merrie Annabelle and finished second in the $525,800 final on August 8.

Costa Rica is driven by Ron Pierce and trained by Jimmy Takter for the ownership of Christina Takter and John and Jim Fielding.

Other New Jersey-sired finalists in the Goldsmith Maid include Bar Slide by Yankee Glide and two daughters of Muscles Yankee, Lindy’s Two Step and In The Mean Time.

The Valley Victory and Goldsmith Maid were contested at Garden State Park from 1990 to 2000, the Meadowlands in 2002, 2004 and 2006, Mohawk in 2003 and Woodbine in 2005, 2007 and 2008 before relocating to Chester this year.