by Carol Hodes, for the New Jersey Sires Stakes

Freehold, NJ — Spice Queen’s winning streak hit a sour note when she broke stride and finished seventh in a $27,400 division of the New Jersey Sires Stakes for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Thursday (August 30) at Freehold Raceway.

Spice Queen, the odds-on favorite, driven by David Miller and trained by Erv Miller, had won seven in a row before this miscue on the turn for home, surrounded by two other breaking fillies. All seven of the wins for the daughter of Yankee Glide came this year.

Picking up the pieces in the second race, the first of two second leg divisions, was Keystone Celeste ($24.60, $24.60, $9.40), who scored her seventh win in 13 starts this year, trotting the mile in 1:57.4. The daughter of Yankee Glide is trained, driven and owned by Todd Schadel of Gratz, Pa. It was 1-1/2 lengths to Financial Glider (by Yankee Glide) in second and 5-1/4 to Batbreaker (Muscles Yankee) in third.

In the $27,400 second division, the fifth race, Victoria Volo ($8.00, $4.80, $2.80), who had been second in her last three starts, reached the winner’s circle with a 1:58.2 mile, 1-1/2 lengths ahead of Resortful (Dream Vacation) and Chez Lucie (Malabar Man).

Victoria Volo, a daughter of Dream Vacation, is owned by L&L DeVisser LLC of Holland, Mich. David Miller drove the trotter for trainer Jim Campbell. It was Victoria Volo’s second win with three seconds and one third in nine starts this year.

The third preliminary leg of the New Jersey Sires Stakes is scheduled for September 6, with an $85,000 final on September 13.