by Carol Hodes, for the SBOANJ

Manalapan, NJ — Southwind Mozart, one of a trio of entrants from the barn of trainer Ake Svanstedt, has been installed as the 7-5 favorite in the $50,500 Charles I. Smith final for 3-year-old trotting colts on Thursday (Sept. 17) at Freehold Raceway.

The Smith and the $35,000 Harold Dancer for 2-year-old colts are both restricted to New Jersey-sired trotters and are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey. The Dancer will also be contested on Thursday at 12:10 p.m., prior to the betting card.

Svanstedt trainees Southwind Mozart (Muscle Hill), Natural Kemp (Muscles Yankee) and Crescent Fashion (Muscle Hill) are separate betting interests as are a pair of Ray Schnittker trainees, Switchblade Hall (Muscles Yankee) and Broken Record (Muscles Yankee). Also entered is the Noel Daley protégé Mountain Top (Muscle Hill).

Southwind Mozart’s performance in the $500,000 Yonkers Trot (third across the wire but placed second) in his last start on Sept. 5 helped to elevate his status. He has now finished first or second in five of 12 starts this year and has a career bankroll of $200,540 for the Wolfgang A Stable Inc. of Vero Beach, Fla.

Carded as the third race, the Charles I. Smith’s field of six, from the rail out with driver and morning line odds: Mountain Top, George Brennan, 4-1; Southwind Mozart, Daniel Dube, 7-5; Natural Kemp, Lucas Wallin, 7-1; Crescent Fashion, Scott Zeron, 5-2; Switchblade Hall, Steve Smith, 30-1; and Broken Record, Ray Schnittker, 6-1.

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

The four-horse Harold Dancer Trot features, from the rail out, Steed with Daniel Dube at the lines for trainer Richard Johnson; Inukchuk Chuck with trainer Julie Miller driving; Stayin Strong, also a Julie Miller trainee with Eric Abbatiello in the sulky; and Luv At First Site handled by Kyle DiBenedetto for trainer Ron Coyne Jr. Steed is by Muscle Hill with the other three by Muscles Yankee.

The stakes record of 1:59 for the Harold Dancer was established by Chapter Seven in 2010.