by Amy Silver, publicity director, Meadowlands Racetrack

East Rutherford, NJ — Berry’s Creek champion Rock N Roll Heaven added another trophy to his coffers in the $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship for 3-year-old colt pacers on Saturday afternoon (May 29) at Meadowlands Racetrack.

Rock N Roll Heaven lowered his mark to 1:48.3 in capturing the NJSS Final.

Parked out on the opening turn, Rock N Roll Heaven and driver Daniel Dube pressed on to take the lead from Ideal Matters past an opening quarter in :26.3. They strode to the half in :54.2 before yielding to AJ Corbelli, who boldly brushed to command entering the final turn. Almost immediately, AJ Corbelli went off stride and moved into the outer path, allowing Dube and Rock N Roll Heaven to close the gap and retake the lead in a 1:21.1 third quarter.

Rock N Roll Heaven opened up by two lengths on the field as they reached the straightaway and dug in for a career best 1:48.3 score. The 6-5 favorite, Rock N Roll Heaven paid $4.40 to win the sixth race feature. Shoobee’s Place sat third on the pylons the whole way and rallied for second. Ideal Matters took aim at the winner from the pocket and held off a late surge by Tobago Cays for third.

Rock N Roll Heaven’s 1:48.3 clocking is the fastest mile in the 39-year history of the NJSS program. The clocking erased the previous record of 1:49.1 set by Artistic Fella on June 24, 2006.

“He’s so fast, and can do everything right,” Dube said. “I knew (AJ Corbelli) was coming. The only thing I could do was let him go because if we challenged each other, it would have been tough on us. Then George (Brennan and AJ Corbelli) moved over and we got back to the front.”

Rock N Roll Heaven improved his record to four wins in five starts and picked up his second stakes trophy this season after capturing the $220,000 Berry’s Creek on May 8. The son of Rocknroll Hanover was also the New Jersey Sire Stakes champion at age two. Trainer Bruce Saunders and owner Frank Bellino are pointing Rock N Roll Heaven for the $1 million Meadowlands Pace, the country’s richest pacing event, on Saturday, July 17.

“You have to have (gate speed), especially since you’re racing in the daytime today,” Saunders noted of the colt’s early charge to the lead. “The better horses get forwardly placed. You can’t come from the back of the bus, because those horses up front can all come home in :27 or better.”

Lisa photos

Put On A Show was a 1:50.1 winner for Tim Tetrick.

It took a photo to declare the winner of the $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship for 3-year-old pacing fillies. After an electrifying stretch battle, it was Put On A Show who nosed out Naughtytiltheend for the victory in 1:50.1. Full Picture finished far back in third.

“My mare got really anxious on me down the backside and she wouldn’t settle,” driver Tim Tetrick said of moving Put On A Show to the lead past the half. “I spent a little bit too much in the middle half on her (:54.1, 1:21.1). I was trying to go as slow as I could and she was pulling me out of the seat. She was just too fresh today and, luckily, we got to the wire first.”

Also by Rocknroll Hanover, the filly is now 9-for-11 lifetime for trainer Chris Ryder and owners Craig Henderson and Richard and Joanne Young. Put On A Show was a $75,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale.