Astreos, Tyberwood top qualifiers for Cane Pace
Freehold Raceway
hosting Triple Crown race on Monday
Tyberwood and Astreos won the $55,225 eliminations for Monday’s Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway and established themselves as the pre-race favorites in the process.
In all, eight horses qualified for the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown at last Saturday’s eliminations.
Tyberwood was first up in the qualifying heats (race 9) and, with Rich Silverman in the bike, marched off with the win in 1:54.1. It was an impressive victory for the son of Western Hanover, who was parked for most of the mile.
Art Dot Com, who started on the rail with Miller driving, was second followed by Armbro Trench and Cat Manzi.
Doc Vinall was fourth, but on this day it was as good as a win because he moves to the Cane Pace final.
Astreos stole the show in the second heat (race 11) equaling the Freehold Raceway track record for 3-year-old pacers at 1:51.4.
Powerful Toy, driven by Luc Ouellette, leaving from post position one, tried to stun the field with his wire-to-wire try. Powerful Toy charged to the lead out of the gate and set an honest pace.
Fractions of 26.4, 54.3 and 1:22.4 assured a fast race. Mike Lachance had Astreos following Powerful Toy at three-quarters and then had too much horse in the homestretch, cruising to the wire with a last quarter in 29.0 to finish off the record-equaling win.
Powerful Toy held on for second followed in third by With Held.
Aint No Stoppin Him got up for the fourth and final qualifying spot.
Astreos tied the 3-year-old pacer mark set last year by Blissful Hall in the Cane Pace final.
Astreos and Tyberwood will be the clear favorites on Monday. Astreos, the son of Artsplace, has won $538,362 in purses this year with three wins in nine starts. He has a lifetime best of 1:49.3. The 2-year-old Breeders Crown champion was second at the $1 million Meadowlands Pace earlier this year.
Tyberwood has earned $323,412 this year and has a lifetime best of 1:52.1. He has two wins in 11 starts.
More than $700,000 in purses will be on the line Labor Day Monday at Freehold as, in addition to the $331,350 Cane Pace Final, there will be the $200,000 Lou Babic Memorial Final for 2-year-old pacers and the $150,000 Shady Daisy for 3-year-old filly pacers.
The Babic qualifiers were also run on Saturday.
The winners of the $15,000 heats were: Nikolaki (Mike Lachance), 1:55.1; Washington (Ray Schnittker), 1:56.1; and Southwind Miranda (David Miller), 1:54.0.
This is the third time that Freehold Raceway has hosted the Cane Pace, which is in its 46th year.
Monday’s winner will be the only pacer with the opportunity to win the Triple Crown which includes Little Brown Jug and Messenger Stakes.
Eight other pacers have won it; they are Adios Butler (1959), Bret Hanover (1965), Romeo Hanover (1966), Rum Customer (1968), Most Happy Fella (1970), Niatross (1980), Ralph Hanover (1983), and Western Hanover (1997).
The other legendary Cane Pace winners include Albatross (1971), Keystone Ore (1976), Cam Fella (1982), Jake And Elwood (1990), Western Hanover (1992), and Riyadh (1993).
Mike Lachance will be looking for his third Cane Pace.
He won previously with Righteous Bucks (1987) and Western Dreamer (1997).
Freehold’s own Cat Manzi had a Cane Pace win in 1996 with Scoot To Power.
He’ll be looking to become a multiple champion on Monday.
New Egypt’s Stanley Dancer has the most Cane wins, with four — Race Time (1964), Most Happy Fella (1970), Albatross (1971) and Keystone Ore (1976).

