Marohn wins four races on card at Freehold Raceway on March 6
Marohn wins four races on card at Freehold Raceway on March 6
The saying that March comes in like a lion certainly applies to Jim Marohn Jr. He won four harness races on the first Saturday of March (March 6) at Freehold Raceway.
Marohn got his first win of the day in race 2, as he went gate-to-wire on Sword Ofthe Spirit for trainer Lewis Nunes.
After two runner-up finishes, Marohn got another win in race 7, as Ron Coyne-trained Ozone Blue Chip won the 1-mile race going away.
Marohn completed the hat trick in upset fashion, guiding Ari Allstar to a come-from-behind win in race 10 at 61/1, for trainer Julius Czermann Jr. That is the biggest longshot to win at the Freehold Raceway meet so far, according to a press release.
For the second time in less than a month Tony Verruso and Slated To Win scored a victory in the American Harness Drivers Club Trot at Freehold Raceway.
Today (March 6) they were victorious in 2:00.1. Three weeks ago, Verruso guided the five-year-old Uncle Peter gelding to a victory in an earlier leg of the trotting series also at the New Jersey half-miler.
When the gate sprung in today s contest Verruso gunned his trotter to the lead from the six-hole and they looped Always A Good Time and driver Joe Faraldo, who had started from post four.
“My horse leaves good and I fired him up when the gate sprung and he trotted to right around Faraldo s horse and we had command before the quarter,” Verruso said via phone after the race. “Once on the lead he was on the bit so I let him ramble.
The Vinny Fusco Jr. Memorial Pacing Series for New Jersey-owned, sired or foaled fillies and mares wraps up at Freehold Raceway on Friday (Jan. 22) with a pair of finals.
The $10,000 final for the first division is for horses with TrackMaster Horse Ratings between 68.00 and 71.50. The winners of the first two legs, Duck N Roll and Southwind Tsunami, drew post positions seven and eight, respectively.
Southwind Tsunami, who races for trainer Mark Capone, upset at 10-1 in the first leg and finished fifth in leg two last week as the favourite. She will have a new driver Friday afternoon: Jim Marohn Jr. After a fourth-place finish in leg one, Duck N Roll won the second leg last week with a strong rally from the back of the pack. She is trained by Izzy Estrada, and will be driven by Luke Hanners.
The second leg of the SBOANJ sponsored Harold Kelly Memorial Pacing Series took place on Saturday (Jan. 16) at Freehold Raceway with six divisions.
Frankandjoanne took the first division for driver Jim Marohn Jr. and trainer Dawn Anderson in 1:59.0. Driver George Brennan teamed with trainer Scott DiDomenico winning the second division with Nothing To Prove. Steve Smith piloted Panters Pinot for trainer Michael Russo to the winner s circle in 1:56.3 to win the third division. The fourth division went to Taste Of History for driver Austin Siegelman and trainer Edwin Quevedo. Siegelman also won the fifth division with I Am The Cowboy for trainer Michael Fiumenero. The last division on the card went to Pirates Alley for driver George Brennan and trainer John Wyatt.
Australian import Let It Ride N will make his Yonkers Raceway debut in the featured $30,000 open handicap pace on opening night, Monday (Jan. 11).
The move to the Hilltop comes after the Rock N Roll Heaven gelding took a Meadowlands Preferred/Open Handicap in such style as to garner praise like, “he really amazed me,” from trainer Nifty Norman.
In that start Jan. 2, driver Dexter Dunn slotted Let It Ride into seventh after starting from post 9 as Harambe Deo ripped an opening quarter in :26.1. Let It Ride N followed cover from Rock Diamonds and drew within four lengths of the lead as Harambe Deo blitzed a :53.2 half-mile. Dunn tipped Let It Ride N three-deep at the midway point of the final turn and the pacer rocketed into contention.