Cane Pace, highlights stakes schedule
Freehold Raceway reopens
for 2003 summer/fall meet
Triple Crown event,
Cane Pace, highlights stakes schedule
VERONICA YANKOWSKI Freehold Raceway opened its doors on Thursday to mark the start of the 2003 season at the storied racetrack.
The first jewel in Pacing’s Triple Crown, the Cane Pace, highlights Freehold Raceway’s summer/fall meet that begins tomorrow.
The 49th annual Cane Pace, which will be run Sept. 1, is just one of several $100,000-plus stakes meets that the nation’s oldest, continually operating, daytime harness track is offering during the 2003 meet. This is the 150th anniversary of harness racing in Freehold.
This is the fifth straight year that Freehold has been host to the Cane Pace, which has a $350,000 purse. Last year, Art Major, with John Campbell holding the reigns, scored the victory in 1:53.1.
The Cane, first run in 1955, has been won by some of the legendary pacers in harness racing history. Names like Albatross (1971), Niatross (1980) and Bret Hanover (1965) transcend the sport. Victories in the Cane solidified their legends.
Just as the Cane Pace has been won by some of the greatest pacers ever, the list of winning drivers is a list of who’s who in the sport. Stanley Dancer, William Haughton, John Campbell and Herve Filion, all Hall-of-Famers, have visited the winner’s circle. Dancer and Campbell share the record for the most Cane victories, with four each.
The two $100,000 elimination divisions for the Cane will be held on Aug. 23.
Nine pacers have won the Pacing Triple Crown, which, in addition to the Cane, includes the Little Brown Jug at the Delaware Fairgrounds, in Ohio on Sept. 18, and the Messenger Stakes at the Meadows, near Pittsburgh, Pa., on Oct. 18.
Another major stakes race is the $275,000 James B. Dancer Memorial Pace on Nov. 15. Named for the patriarch of the famed New Egyptian harness racing family, has become one of the top 3-year-old races in the country. Many of the pacers competing in the Cane Pace will return to Freehold for this race, looking to enhance their Harness Horse of the Year chances. First competed in 1976, this race has been won by Niatross (1980), Nihilator (1985), Artsplace (1992) and Cam’s Card Shark (1994), who all went on to win Harness Horse of the Year honors from the United States Trotting Association.
Other major stakes in 2003, including the $150,000 Lou Babic Memorial for 2-year-old pacers, Sept. 1; the $70,000 Lou Babic Filly final, Aug. 30; the $90,000 Harold Dancer final, 2-year-old trotters; the $150,000 Battle of Freehold for 2-year-old pacers, Sept. 20; the $80,000 Harold Dancer final, 2-year-old fillies, Sept. 25; $100,000 Charles Smith Trot, 3-year-old trotters, Oct. 17; and $50,000 New Jersey Futurity, 3-year-old pacers, Oct. 18.
Also there will be $75,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes finals for 3-year-old filly trotters (Sept. 11), 3-year-old colt trotters (Sept. 19), 2-year-old colt trotters (Sept. 24), 2-year-old filly pacers (Sept. 27), 2-year-old filly trotters (Oct. 2), 2-year-old colt pacers (Oct. 11), 3-year-old colt pacers (Oct. 11). and 3-year-old filly pacers (Oct. 11).
Fresh off his driving title at the winter/spring meet, Freehold’s own Cat Manzi will be looking to win his 16th title at Freehold. A recent Harness Hall of Fame inductee, Manzi won 257 races during the 2002-03 winter/spring meet to secure his 15th driving title.
Monico Stanislao won the 2002-03 training title with 72 winners. It was his second straight track title. He’ll be looking for the hat trick this meet.
Qualifying races for the meet began July 31.
Freehold Raceway will begin introducing its new Super 8 tomorrow, which can be won by anyone who correctly picks the winners of eight straight races on the card.