by Carol Hodes, for the SBOA of New Jersey
Manalapan, NJ — The King of Pop is gone, but Rock N Roll is here to stay — Rocknroll Hanover, that is.
In Saturday’s C$1 million Metro for colts and C$800,000 She’s A Great Lady for fillies at Mohawk Raceway, eight of the 20 finalists will be New Jersey-sired 2-year-old pacers and of that group, six will be from the first crop of Rocknroll Hanover.
In the Metro Final, carded as the seventh race, the Garden State is represented by Sportswriter, who is by Artsplace, and four sons of Rocknroll Hanover — Woodstock, Rock N Roll Heaven, Rock Me Please and World of Rocknroll. Sportwriter and Woodstock were both elim winners.
In the She’s A Great Lady, the eighth race, Cannae Cammie, by Cam’s Card Shark, will be joined by a pair of Rocknroll Hanover daughters, Put On A Show and Rock N Soul, both of whom won their elims.
“He looks like the most significant first crop stallion since Artsplace and before him No Nukes,” noted Bob Marks, spokesperson for Perretti Farms where Rocknroll Hanover stands at stud.
Thus far, Rocknroll Hanover has had 88 starters with 42 wins and $942,376 in earnings. Topping that group is Metro finalist Rock N Roll Heaven with $132,726 banked.
Perretti Farms of Cream Ridge, N.J. shares ownership in Rocknroll Hanover with Jeffrey Snyder of New York City and Lothlorien Equestrian Center of Cheltenham, Ontario.