by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey

Manalapan NJ — Spice Queen bids for the whole enchilada, putting her five-race winning streak on the line in the $85,000 Helen Smith Final on Friday afternoon (August 17) at Freehold Raceway.

The 3-year-old daughter of Yankee Glide, who is out of the mare The Big Enchilada, is a perfect five-for-five in 2007, winning four conditioned trots in the Midwest before turning in a nose tally over Victoria Volo in her Smith elimination race last week at Freehold.

The Helen Smith for 3-year-old trotting fillies was developed and sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.

Trained by Erv Miller and driven by Brian Sears, Spice Queen leaves from the rail in the final which is carded as the sixth of 13 races. She is rated the 7-2 second choice in the morning line.

Spice Queen, who was a $60,000 Lexington Selected Sale yearling purchase, races for brothers Norman Smiley of Boca Raton, Florida and Gerald Smiley of Cote Saint-Luc, Quebec. She has a career total of five wins in seven starts and earnings of $16,870. Her mark of 1:56 flat was taken on August 1 at Indiana Downs.

Spice Queen’s full sister, Margarita Nights, was an accomplished stakes performer, winning the $50,125 Lady Suffolk at Freehold and the $350,000 Del Miller Memorial at the Meadowlands, both in 2005, toward career earnings of $248,614.

Resortful, the wealthiest of the Smith finalists with nearly $238,000 banked, is the Hambletonian Oaks runner-up and finished second to Madame Volo in her Smith elim. The Jonas Czernyson-trainee starts from post two with Jeff Gregory at the lines and is the slight 3-1 morning line favorite.

The field for the $85,000 Helen Smith Final (in post position order from the rail out with driver, trainer and morning line odds): Spice Queen, Brian Sears, Erv Miller, 7-2; Resortful, Jeff Gregory, Jonas Czernyson, 3-1; Victoria Volo, John Campbell, James Campbell, 4-1; Spinning Class, Chris Ryder, Chris Ryder, 6-1; Smokeslikeachimney, Cat Manzi, Jonas Czernyson, 5-1; Madame Volo, Jan Johnson, Jan Johnson, 8-1; Contender Hanover, David Miller, Bill Popfinger, 12-1; and Chez Lucie, Stephen Smith, Karen Garland, 15-1. The two Czernyson trainees have separate ownership and are uncoupled in the wagering.