Chocolate Day and Muscle On In turned in winning performances in New Jersey Futurities for 2-year-old trotters on Oct. 10 at Freehold Raceway.
In the third race, Chocolate Day battled Choco Sun, prevailing for a length and 1/2 victory in the $14,500 division. It was three and 1/2 lengths to Hot Type in third. All three are sons of Chocolatier.
Chocolate Day, driven by Marcus Johansson and trained by Julie Miller, trotted the mile in 2:02.2, picking up his fourth win with six seconds and one third in 14 starts.
The trotter has earned $42,601 for the Andy Miller Stable of Millstone and Arden Homestead Stable of Delhi, N.Y.
Harold Dancer winner Muscle On It added the New Jersey Futurity to his credit with a wire-to-wire, half-length victory in the first split, a nonwagering race with a purse of $14,000. The mile was timed in 2:00.2.
Daniel Dube drove the son of Muscle Hill for trainer Chris Ryder.
Skates N Plates was second, and Angels Ransom was 3/4 of a length back in third. Both are sons of Revenue.
Muscle On In has earned $59,665 for coowner Ryder and his partners — Robert Mondillo of Delaware, Ohio, and Max Wernick of New City, N.Y.
The New Jersey Futurity is restricted to New Jersey-sired trotters and is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey.
Dube and Ryder also combined to win a $7,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes – Green Acres for 3-year-old trotting fillies, with Vida De Vie in the first of two nonwagering events in 2:00.4.
Vida De Vie, owned and bred by Joie De Vie Farm LLC of Jobstown, completed a sweep of the three preliminary legs of the Green Acres. Connie Keeper was second and Ninety Five Janet was third at 23 1/2 lengths back. All three are daughters of Muscles Yankee.
Neptune City’s Pat Ford won the Monmouth County Park’s Manasquan Reservoir 5-Mile Run in Howell Township on Sept. 22.
Ford circled the reservoir’s 5-mile loop in 30:22. Freehold’s Jose Sanchez was the runner up (33:31), Brick’s Joseph Baldasare was third (33:45) and Morganville’s John Frabel (34:49) finished fourth.
Finishing fifth overall was the women’s winner, 13-year-old Rachel Kenny from Matawan, who posted a 35:42.3.
Andrea Olsen of Tinton Falls was second in the women’s race (40:29.1), and Laurie Nolan of Neptune City placed third (41:28.5). Fourth and fifth went to Farmingdale’s Marian Westley (42:06.3) and Clarksburg’s Debbie DeNardo (42:21), respectively.
Completing the overall top 10 from sixth through 10th were Joseph Boyle, Howell (35:42.3); Michael Moore, Colts Neck (36:08); Jacinto Sequra, Brick (36:58.5); Billy Conway, Manasquan (37:21.3); and Robert Bartnick, Mine Hill (38:11.1).
The next race on the park system’s calendar is the Woods Hollow Classic Mountain Bike Race at Middletown’s Tatum Park. This race is 7.5 miles for beginners and 11.25 miles for more advanced riders.
For additional information on the mountain bike race, contact Chris Davino at 732-542-1642, ext. 26.
Tickets are being sold for the Rutgers University Homecoming football game on Oct. 26 against the University of Houston, which will raise money for breast cancer research and support services for breast cancer patients and their families.
The price of a ticket is $30, and $10 from each ticket purchased goes to the Mama Mare Breast Cancer Foundation. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 732-904- 7885 or visit www.mamamare.org.
Monmouth University freshman Dave Nigro has become the master of scoring goals late in a match.
On Oct. 9, the Marlboro High School graduate scored in the 79th minute of the match to lead the Hawks to a 1-0 win over Iona College on the Great Lawn at Monmouth. The win was the first-ever for the Hawks in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Monmouth is now 2-5-3 overall and 1-0-1 in MAAC play.
Nigro has scored three goals this season and all have been scored after the 70th minute of play. It was his goal in the 72nd minute that enabled Monmouth to tie Fairfield University, 1-1, in its MAAC debut match.