Freehold: Camden Hills grabs NJSS-SDF title, track record for Delgado

They say that patience is a virtue, and that certainly proved true for Joe Bongiorno and Camden Hills. After a ground-saving trip right off the leaders, Camden Hills powered on to win the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Standardbred Development Fund final for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters on Friday (September 24) at Freehold Raceway.

Leaving from post position one, Camden Hills briefly held the early lead but was swallowed up by Seventier, who was seeking a sweep of the series. That one rushed to the front and grabbed control by the opening quarter-mile point. Rather than re-take, Bongiorno kept his drive in the pocket, while Seventier set the early tempo.

As they rounded the far turn, Magical Muscle Man, who had moved first-over, put his head in front of Seventier. Camden Hills was blocked, but salvation was about to come in the form of the passing lane. As soon as he found room, Camden Hills shot through, and got up to win over Seventier and Magical Muscle Man by 1 1/4 lengths. The final time was 1:56.

Camden Hills is owned by Robert Weinstein and trained by Jenn Bongiorno. He's now won three times from 15 starts on the year, including a division of the first leg on September 3. His career earnings more than doubled with this win, surpassing the $60,000 mark.

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Earlier on the card, Delgado put his name in the record books with a track record performance in the first leg of the NJSS-SDF series for 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters. Dan Dube blasted him to the lead from post position seven, and he never gave up control. He covered the mile in 1:57, breaking the record for 2-year-old geldings by more than a second. The previous mark for geldings was 1:58 4/5, set by Steed in the 2015 New Jersey Futurity.

Delgado also broke the overall mark for 2-year-old male trotters. The record for colts is 1:57 2/5, set by Chapter Seven in the 2010 NJSS final. Delgado is owned by Robert Young and Russell Pickup and trained by Ron Coyne Jr.

The first leg of the NJSS-SDF series for 2-year-old trotting fillies went to Gertrude. She took the lead right around the three-eighths point and kept her rivals at bay, winning in 1:57 1/5. She's owned by Andy Miller Stable Inc., trained by Julie Miller, and driven by Tyler Miller.

--press release (Freehold)--