by Carol Hodes, for the SBOANJ

Manalapan, NJ — Trainer Chris Ryder sends out a pair of Muscle Hill colts, rated the 9-5 morning line favorites in the $55,000 Charles I. Smith Trot, the seventh race on Friday (Sept. 12) at Freehold Raceway.

The Charles I. Smith is restricted to New Jersey-sired 3-year-old trotters and sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.

Ryder will sit behind Well Built, leaving from post two, while Gregory Merton will be at the lines of Muscle On It from the rail.

Well Built was second in the $60,000 Zweig Consolation at Vernon Downs in his last outing on Aug. 29 and brings a record of three wins, two seconds and one third from 15 starts this year, earning $52,350 toward a career total of $156,047 for Ryder and co-owner Robert Mondillo.

Ryder and Mondillo share ownership of Muscle On In with Max Wernick. Muscle On In will be making his third start of the year and looking for his first check of 2014. At two, he won four of 12 starts and banked $62,566.

Hillustrious, also by Muscle Hill, leaves from outside post seven with Yannick Gingras driving for trainer Ron Burke. He is listed at 2-1 in the morning line with four wins, two seconds and a third in 10 starts this year, adding nearly $50,000 toward total earnings of more than $72,000 for the partnership of Deo Volente Farms, Rivers Stable Inc. and TLP Stable.

The stakes record for the Smith of 1:55.4 was set in 2010 by Flex The Muscle (Muscles Yankee).

The field for the $55,000 Charles I. Smith with betting number, post number, sire, driver, trainer and morning line odds: 1-1-Muscle On It-Muscle Hill-Gregory Merton-Chris Ryder-9-5; 1A-2-Well Built-Muscle Hill-Chris Ryder-Chris Ryder-9-5; 2-3-Skates N Plates-Revenue-Trond Smedshammer-Trond Smedshammer-5-1; 3-4-Opulent Yankee-Muscles Yankee-Ake Svanstedt-Ake Svantedt-6-1; 4-5-Choco Sun-Chocolatier-Jim Meittinis-Orjan Torstensson-12-1; 5-6-Angels Ransom-Revenue-George Brennan-Roland Mallar-7-1; 6-7-Hillustrious-Muscle Hill-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-2-1.

Sharing the Friday card is a $7,000 opening leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Green Acres for 2-year-old trotting fillies, carded as the third race.

Demons N Diamonds by Muscle Hill, driven by Daniel Dube and trained by John McDermott Jr., is the 8-5 morning line favorite from post five in the field of seven fillies, four of whom are by Muscles Yankee and two by Muscle Hill.