Freehold: Analysis for Thursday 9/12
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MEET STATS: 30-10-7-6/ $34.00 (-$26.00)
BEST BETS: 3-2-1-0 / $2.20 (-$1.00)
SPOT PLAYS: 3-0-1-1 / $0 (-$6.00)
BEST BETS: (4) RUN BABY (4th)
SPOT PLAY: (4) PACK YOUR BAGS (2nd)
Freehold Raceway goes to three-days-a-week, adding a Thursdays for the next five weeks. Last Friday my top choice won three times, was second twice and third twice but I showed a loss on the win end. Despite hitting at 33.33% at the beginning of this meet, I need to dig myself out of the red.
Race 1: F&M TrackMaster 68.5
(6) SWEET MOVES finds as cheap a field as she has seen in some time. On 8/23 she was a solid 3rd missing by 3 3/4 lengths to Maddy N Maddie, who won the Italian American Amateur pace last Friday by an eye-popping 16 3/4 lengths. She was in much tougher on Saturday in an amateur event at the Big M and had a no chance trip. (7) CUTTING HUMOR went wire-to-wire at this level two back at even money, moved up last week with a no-chance trip from the outside and now drops down again and picks up Jimmy Marohn, Jr., who won with her two back. She has four wins this year, which is three less than the combined total of the rest of the field. (1) UNNREAL has just one win and exacta finish in 27 races in 2024 but has been parked badly in the last two. She draws the pole and should have a much more relaxed trip in here. Tyler Miller chose this one over #7 Cutting Humor.
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Race 2: TrackMaster 72.5 - Pick 4
(4) PACK YOUR BAGS comes in from the Big M after two 10 holes. Two weeks back he was a solid third and this past Saturday had a no-chance trip. He has six wins in 2024, has been solid of late and won here earlier this year in 1:55 1/5. (6) ARTIFACT HANOVER was a solid 2nd at this level on Saturday and has hit the exacta in three out of his last four. This 9-year-old has early speed to find position and also shows the ability to follow the outer flow. (3) CINDERLANE SHARK ships in from Saratoga, goes first-time for Michael Polhemus. He wired a field three back and has earned checks in five of his last six. (5) IT’S MIKI’S WORLD got a good pocket trip on Saturday and turned it into a nice win for Ivan Llopez. He has a bit of back class and has won four times in 2024.
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RACE 3: NJSS Standardbred Development Fund Fillies Trot
Short field of five with some young trotters that don’t have a lot of half-mile experience. (4) TOVE PALEMA drew horribly in both legs of the NJ Classic but did show speed blasting from the 10 post two back and earned a check, missing by just 1 1/2 lengths. Can she handle the half-mile oval? Tyler Miller should have this daughter of Walner on the front end and if she stays flat, she will be very tough to beat. (1) BLAZING DEO makes her first PM start in two months but has been facing tough overnight competition. She has four wins and four second-place finishes in 19 career starts; seems to have some talent. (5) MEETMEATTHEBAR won here last year and had some decent efforts on the half-mile over at Yonkers, including a nice wire-to-wire win on 7/13 from the rail.
Race 4: F&M TrackMaster 68.5 (Pick 5)
(4) RUN BABY gave another strong effort last week, cutting a hot pace but getting nailed late by the pocket sitter and finishing second, missing by a neck. A week earlier, she cut a hot pace, didn’t get a breather and finished second getting run down by You Beda Rock. You Beda Rock came back and was super impressive this past Saturday night beating a TM 72.5 at the Meadowlands. This is the easiest field Run Baby has met since arriving at Freehold. The recent addition to the Izzy Estrada stable has shown excellent improvement and goes third time with Lasix. (7) ITS MESMERISE N draws poorly for the fourth week in a row but drops down a notch and has been finishing miles strongly. She was an impressive 2nd three back at a higher level. (3) MAYDAYMAVERICKHOPE has earned checks in each of her last seven starts and has popped twice this year at Freehold from inside posts at solid odds.
RACE 5: NJSS Standardbred Development Fund Fillies (Trot) - Pick 4
This is the stronger of the two NJSS Standardbred Development Fund fields and four out of the six have a shot in here. (3) ELOISE had absolutely no chance in the NJ Classic final last week from the 10 post and has been battling some tough young trotters. She won over at Yonkers on 6/28 and can handle the half mile. (4) KINESIOLOGY goes second time with Lasix for trainer Ron Burke and has won four times in 2024. She had a rough trip in the NJ Classic consolation last week, but if she adjusts to the half mile track she has the early speed to find god early position. (1) SOUTHWIND BANSHEE earned a check in the NJ Classic final last week and has come up in 27-flat each of the last two weeks. This five-time winner put in a strong effort at Yonkers on a half-mile oval on 6/28 just missing 1 3/4 lengths from the seven post in the race won by Eloise. (5) ST PAULI GIRL has four wins and four second-place finishes in 13 career starts. Jimmy Marohn Jr. chose this 3-year-old daughter of Six Pack over #1 Southwind Banshee and she does have good speed off the gate.
Race 6: $50,000 Garden State 3 Year Old Colts Trot
(2) HANKINS HANOVER had a no-chance trip in the NJ Classic Finals last week from the 10 post. He has been battling some of the best young trotters in the land like Karl and Sig Sauer. This Burke trainee has five wins in his young career and should be well-placed by Corey Callahan early on. (7) SEVEN REPS draws poorly but has hit the board in each of his last four starts, including a win four back at Pocono going wire-to-wire from the six post in 1:55 1/5. He has good early speed but that first turn sure does come up quickly on this half-mile track. (3) ROBINHOOD gets a post position advantage over Seven Reps this week after following that one in the outer flow from post 10 last week at the Meadowlands in a respectable fourth-place finish. This Noel Daley trainee has shown early speed on many occasions already and should be able to find good early position. (8) MR GRANT comes out of a tough NJ Classic final where he finished sixth. He draws the worst of it here but has nine exacta finishes in 20 career starts and clearly has some talent.
Race 7: NW2500/TrackMaster 75.5
(7) EL LE TISSIER N drops down into a weak NW2500 event and has been facing much stronger most of the summer. He went off at 9:5 odds two back at this level against a much tougher group; left, sat and finished fourth. He has a mark of 1:55 3/5 here at Freehold this year and was a sold 3rd in a fast mile here on Saturday. (2) GOTAFOOLISHDESIRE has back-to-back second-place finishes in fast miles at Philly at Pocono but is 0 for 28 this year. He doesn’t possess good early speed and will need a trip, but this isn’t the toughest bunch. (1) BARGAIN SHOPPER has been somewhat uninspiring of late but does have eight wins in 2023-24 and has a 1:55 2/5 mark here in 2023. There isn’t a lot of early speed in here and he should be well-positioned early. (5) JUMPING JAKE has earned checks in his last seven races over at Philly. On 7/14 he left strongly from the seven post to the lead, settled for the pocket and closed in 29-flat for the win. He won here in 1:54 1/5 in 2023 and he could add value to the exotics.
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Race 8: TrackMaster 68.5
(2) BESTONEYET HANOVER has burned a lot of money as the favorite the last three weeks and I cringe a bit picking him on top. Last week he tried to cut the mile but got beaten at 1-2 odds by the pocket sitter, settling for second. The week before he got beat at 3-5 odds after quarter moving in a hot half, fading to fourth. He’s 0 for 11 this year and just 2 for 55 in his career but he draws much better than the other contenders and could sit a patient pocket trip. (6) TONY N ROCK has won two of his last three in wire-to-wire fashion, most recently this past Saturday, setting a pedestrian pace in 1:00 1/5 to the half. He gets in this field because he was eligible at the time of entry and his qualifier on 8/16 was impressive, setting the pace and getting beat late, settling for third in 1:56 4/5. (7) ULLIAM is still a maiden after 15 starts but three of his last four tries have shown major improvement and he was a solid second on Saturday, missing by just 3/4 of a length in 1:57 4/5.