by Leon Zimmerman, for the New Jersey Sire Stakes
Freehold, NJ — The undefeated My Ideal Hanover, with five victories in five lifetime starts, will try to make it six in a row Saturday in a $10,000 elimination for the Lou Babic Filly Pace Final for 2-year-old New Jersey-sired fillies at Freehold Raceway.
There will be two elimination heats of eight fillies each seeking to make it into the $60,500 final scheduled for September 10 on the same card as the $104,500 Lou Babic Pace Open Final. The Babic Memorials are sponsored by the New Jersey Sire Stakes Program and named for the late Louis Babic, a founder of the NJSS and long-time standardbred horse owner.
There is one $15,000 elimination race with eight colts and geldings competing for six spots in the Babic Open Pace Final. Two colts were awarded byes directly into the final based on career money earnings, Verdad (Western Ideal) and All Stienam (Tell All).
My Ideal Hanover, starting from post two in one of the filly eliminations, comes out of victories in the Frisky Fillies Series at Rideau Calrton in Canada, where she earned $26,163. She is owned by Stephanie and Brian Cassel of Ontario and will be trained by George Dennis for this start. Also in the field, from post one is Mikeleh (Western Ideal), who finished third in a $19,200 leg of the NJSS Premier Division Series at Meadowlands in July.
The other $10,000 elimination race includes Rockin Reese (Rocknroll Hanover) and Denyittotheend (Tell All), who finished fourth and fifth respectively in the $175,000 NJSS Premier Championship Final for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Meadowlands. Denyittotheend, who drew the rail for the Babic elimination, had also won an $18,700 NJSS preliminary leg of NJSS Premier series in 1:56.1. Rockin Reese, who will start from post two in the elimination, had a second and a third in that series.
The Babic Open elimination includes a Ron Burke-trained entry of a pair of Rocknroll Hanover colts, Mortal Zin and Narragansett, starting from posts one and two respectively. Mortal Zin competed in the NJSS Premier Division at Meadowland, finishing fifth in one preliminary leg.
Another entry for owner Irwin Samelman of Las Vegas will be comprised of Handsome Henry K (Western Ideal) and Shark On Board (Cam’s Card Shark) starting from post six and eight respectively. Handsome Henry K had a third-place finish in an $18,200 NJSS Premier preliminary leg at The Meadowlands.
The NJSS Green Acres Series begins September 5 at Freehold Raceway and will continue until championship finals in October.