by Carol Hodes, for the New Jersey Sires Stakes

Freehold, NJ — McArts N Crafts, winner of the Sweetheart Pace two weeks ago, joins 11 other 2-year-old pacing fillies in New Jersey Sires Stake action on Saturday afternoon (August 18) at Freehold Raceway.

It is the opening leg for the 12 freshman fillies, who will go postward in a pair of $28,000 divisions, carded as races two and three.

Two second round New Jersey Sires Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts drew 17 entrants in two divisions for purses of $29,000 to $29,500. The colts are in races one and four.

McArts N Crafts, owned and trained by Haralabos Giannoulis of New Milford, New Jersey, rallied from off the pace to win the $441,750 Sweetheart on August 3 at the Meadowlands and took a mark of 1:53.2.

The filly now has the one win, two seconds and two thirds from five starts for earnings of $258,681. She was third in the $175,000 New Jersey Sires Stake Final on July 11 at the Meadowlands.

She drew the rail in Saturday’s third race and will be back in the hands of driver Stephen Smith.

“We’ve been racing her from behind in all of her starts, and the only reason she was still a maiden was because she ran out of racetrack (in her previous starts),” said Smith after the Sweetheart victory.

Bred by Perretti Farms in Cream Ridge, New Jersey, McArts N Crafts is by McArdle and out of Jardin Des Art. She was a $12,000 New Jersey Classic Sale purchase for 37-year-old Giannoulis, who oversees a two-horse stable. His charges have finished in the money in six of eight starts this year and he already has achieved his best season for earnings with $266,917.

The pari-mutuel division of the New Jersey Sires Stakes features three preliminary legs and an $85,000 final for each gait and gender for 2- and 3-year-olds.

The New Jersey Sires Stakes record for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Freehold is 1:54.4, set by Coochie Mama on September 7, 2002.

McArdle and Squaw’s Fella share the New Jersey Sires Stakes at Freehold record for 2-year-old pacing colts of 1:54.4. The gelding record is 1:55.1, established last year by B Smart.

Sharing the spotlight on Saturday at Freehold with the quartet of NJSS events is the $85,000 Helen Smith for 3-year-old filly trotters, carded as race six.