Freehold: Melady's Monet headlines Friday card
One of the East Coast's top trotters makes his return to Freehold Raceway on Friday (April 16) as Melady's Monet looks for his third win at the New Jersey oval this year.
He was assigned the outside post position in the eight-horse Preferred Handicap trot but nevertheless looms as a serious contender. In his 12-year-old season, the Hermann Heitmann-trained gelding continues in fine form, with five wins from 10 starts on the year. He enters Friday's race on a two-race winning streak at Yonkers Raceway. He's won the Preferred Handicap twice at Freehold, on January 15 and January 22. Eric Abbatiello, who drove him to victory in those two starts, will once again be in the sulky.
The top five finishers in last week's Preferred Handicap trot will return to face Melady's Monet. Levitation, last week's winner, was assigned post position seven for trainer Franz Wolf and driver Austin Siegelman. This 6-year-old gelding has been in fine form lately, with three wins in his last four starts at Freehold.
Winneress led most of the way last week before getting caught and finishing second. He will leave from post position five for trainer Symon Spicer and driver Jim Marohn Jr. Mugshot Jess, a veteran of Freehold, was a strong third in his first start off the layoff. This 14-year-old and trainer/driver Taylor Gower will leave from post position four.
Allindotime, last week's fourth-place finisher, has post position three. Bill MacKenzie is the trainer and Steve Smith will drive. Doc's Swan Song, for trainer Mike Terpolilli, was fifth last week after recovering from a break, and has post position two with driver Luke Hanners.
Casino Cutie It, who won the Preferred Handicap on March 12 for trainer Tom Fanning, and Major Impact, a Pocono Downs shipper for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr, complete the field.
The race is scheduled as the sixth on Friday, with a post time of about 2:10 PM.
The first of nine races at Freehold on Friday will go at about 12:30 PM.
-edited release (Freehold)