Freehold: Hurrikane Emperor, Surreality claim Homegrown Paces

New Jersey Sire Stakes and Kentucky Sires Stakes champion Hurrikane Emperor was the winner of Saturday afternoon's $25,000 Homegrown Pace for 2-year-old male pacers at Freehold Raceway. Surreality took the $21,000 companion event for rookie pacing fillies.

Driver Dan Dube left with Hurrikane Emperor, and he would work around Trente Deo (Jonathan Roberts) passing the 28 4/5 opening quarter. Dube was able to back down the middle-half from there, getting to the half in 58 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:27, and a 28 1/5 final kicker was more than enough as Hurrikane Emperor won by a length in 1:55. Trente Deo was second, and Cool Your Heels (Austin Siegelman) finished third.

John McDermott Jr. trains Hurrikane Emperor, a Hurrikane Kingcole colt, for owners/breeders Jonathan Klee Racing, Kuhen Racing LLC., and Pegasis Investment Group and co-owner George Vierno. Hurrikane Emperor has won seven times from nine starts, and he has now earned $226,900. He is the second foal out of the Somebeachsomewhere mare Hurrikane Schmumma (1:56 3/5, $26,549) and his full sister Hurrikane Empress won last year's New Jersey Sire Stakes final for 2-year-old pacing fillies. He was the 1-9 favorite and paid $2.20 to win.

The fillies raced in a non-wagering event prior to the main card, and Surreality (George Brennan) won in 1:56 4/5 after leading through panels of 29 2/5, 58 4/5, and 1:27 4/5. She downed Hurrikane Lori Ann (Dube) by a length and a quarter, with Miss Raggedy Ann (Jim Marohn Jr.) third and Jk Miss Molly (Siegelman) fourth.

A So Surreal filly, Surreality is trained by Mark Harder, who also co-owns her with partners Joseph Jannuzzelli and Dawn Colucci. This was Surreality's sixth win from ten starts.