Freehold: Southwind Woody stars in New Jersey Sire Stakes final

Southwind Woody went all the way on the lead to capture the $50,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes/Standardbred Development Fund final for 3-year-old colt trotters on Saturday afternoon at Freehold Raceway.

Driven by George Brennan, Southwind Woody went to the front from the pole position, and he would take the field of seven through fractions of 28 3/5, 58 3/5, and 1:27 4/5. Up by 2 1/2 lengths on a first-over Backstage Pass (Jim Marshall III) at three-quarters, Southwind Woody stretched out his margin through the lane, winning by 3 1/2 lengths over Frankie Mullins (Eric Goodell) in a 1:57 2/5 mile. Backstage Pass wound up third.

Ron Burke trains Southwind Woody, a colt by Muscle Hill, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Our Horse Cents Stables, J&T Silva Stables, LLC., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. This was his fourth win of 2017, his fifth career victory, and he has now earned $131,020. Sent off as the even-money second choice, Southwind Woody paid $4.00 to win.

The $15,000 New Jersey Futurity for 3-year-old pacers was staged as a non-betting race before the pari-mutuel program started, and gelding Every Way Out (Victor Kirby) would defeat filly Misqued (Steve Smith) and gelding Firefox Hanover (Greg Merton). Every Way Out was in front of his two foes past panels of 28 3/5, 58 2/5, and 1:27 3/5, and a 27 4/5 final kicker got him home 3 1/4 lengths in front of Misqued in a 1:55 2/5 performance.

An If I Can Dream gelding, Every Way Out is trained by Dylan Davis for the ownership group of Howard Taylor, Abraham Basen, Edwin Gold, and Thomas Lazzaro. Every Way Out, a multi-time New Jersey Sire Stakes winner at the Meadowlands at Freehold, now sports a record of 15-2-0 from 20 career tries, and he has earned $310,555.