FREEHOLD, N.J. – This time, their prayers were answered.

The owners of Strong Yankee got to celebrate a Triple Crown win Saturday after Strong Yankee won the $279,816 Yonkers Trot at Freehold Raceway. The connection’s crew included the Rev. Tom Ganley, who is a friend of co-owner Ernie Martinez.

Strong Yankee, driven by Brian Sears and trained by Trond Smedshammer, won by five lengths over Maximum Return in 1:56.1, equaling the track record. It was the first win of the year for Strong Yankee, who had made seven starts prior to the Yonkers Trot.

USTA Photo

Strong Yankee made every pole a winning one, cutting fractions of 28.4, 58, 1:27.2 on his way to a five length triumph in 1:56.1, which equaled the track record co-owned by Giant Keeper (1998) and SJ’s Caviar (2001).

“I thought we were going to get it in the Hambletonian; in deep stretch he faded, but not today,” said Lou Domiano, another of Strong Yankee’s owners, referring to the horse’s fourth-place finish in the $1.5 million Hambletonian two weeks ago after leading much of the way. “He’s a big, strong horse. I knew we’d get our win one of these days.”

Ken Warkentin, the Yonkers Trot favorite and the division’s champion last year, went off stride behind the gate and failed to be a factor. Worship, who joined Ken Warkentin in winning Yonkers Trot elimination races last week, also went off stride early in the race and finished eighth.

Worship and Strong Yankee were coupled in the betting because Martinez and his wife, Tina, own Worship and share ownership of Strong Yankee with several others.

The Rev. Ganley, who is the chaplain at McCarrick Nursing Home in Somerset, New Jersey, said he was the “spiritual director” for both horses.

“After the Hambletonian I told him that someone must have prayed harder,” Domiano said with a laugh. “God works in funny ways.”

The win gives Smedshammer victories in four of the last five Trotting Triple Crown races. He won the Crown last year with Windsong’s Legacy.

Vivid Photo, who won the Crown’s first jewel, the Hambletonian, wasn’t entered in the Yonkers Trot.