Freehold: Garden State Trots, Home Grown Pace held

Three $40,000 races - two divisions of the Garden State Trot for 3-year-old filly trotters, as well as the Homegrown 3-year-old filly pace - took place on Thursday afternoon at Freehold Raceway.

The Homegrown saw a 31-1 upset as Celcius scored a new lifetime mark of 1:53 4/5. After the wings folded and the horses settled into position, Celcius and Joe Bongiorno sat second behind the 2-5 favorite, Miraculous Deo. Coming out of the third turn on the half-mile track, Bongiorno positioned the mare to move first-over around the leader, who seemed to be losing steam. They cleared to the lead just as the field turned for home and paced on to win it by 4 1/2 lengths. Per Engblom trains the Lazarus filly for William Shults. A win bet paid $64.40.

The Ron Coyne Jr. trainee, Eloise, had a dominant victory as the 2-5 favorite in the first division of the Garden State. After settling in second from post two in the first turn, Eloise moved to the point by the time they reached the quarter in 28 1/5. She went on to set the pace from there and maintained the lead all the way to the wire. The filly's regular driver, Corey Callahan was at the controls to get the job done in the 1:56 3/5 mile.

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The second Garden State split was won by the favorite as well as Buy A Round scored at 1-5 odds for Noel Daley with Andrew McCarthy in the bike. Her competitors didn’t make it easy for her, though. She got away fourth from post two where she sat until the field approached the three-quarter pole. McCarthy kept the filly on the helmet of Johnathan Ahle and Southwind Banshee, who pulled from third into the outer flow. He stayed behind his cover until they entered the stretch and then stepped on the gas to pass and win by a head in 1:56 2/5.

Also on the card were two divisions of leg one of the NJSS Standardbred Development Fund 3-year-old trot for colts and geldings, and trainer Ron Burke swept those events. His first victory was with Seven Reps, who earned his second win in-a-row after claiming victory in the Garden State Trot last week, both times with Austin Siegelman in the bike. The time for the mile was 1:56 1/5. Hankins Hanover and Corey Callahan claimed the other flight as the 9-5 second choice in a time of 1:56 3/5.

Stakes action continues at Freehold on Friday and Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m. (EDT).

--press release (Freehold)--