Driver Joe Bongiorno and trainer Ron Burke teamed to win a pair of New Jersey Sire Stakes-Green Acres Sept. 5 at Freehold Raceway.
Both events were pre-card, non-wagering races and both were $7,000 opening legs for 3-year-old pacers.
In the event for fillies, Bongiorno, a Howell High School graduate, guided Lissan to a wire-to-wire victory in 1:57 flat, finishing a length and a half in front of Smart Zone with a nine-length margin to Callacam in third.
The colts and geldings split went to Edward Teach, who also had the lead at every call and crossed the wire in 1:55.3. He was two-and-a-half lengths ahead of Devils Cut with three lengths back to Rock Of the Ages.
Both winners were offspring of Rocknroll Hanover.
Lissan, owned by White Birch Farm of Allentown, picked up her second win of the year in 13 starts and has a career total of four wins, four seconds and four thirds from 20 starts for earnings of $44,538.
Edward Teach has three wins, two seconds and one third in 14 starts this year and has finished in-the-money in six of 14 career outings, banking $60,650 for Dale Towle of Leamington, Ontario.
All seven entrants in the Charles Smith Trot will advance to the $50,500 final Sept. 17 at Freehold. No eliminations will be needed.
Three are from the stable of trainer Ake Svanstedt: Crescent Fashion, Natural Kemp and Southwind Mozart. Both Broken Record and Switchboard Hall are Ray Schnittker trainees. Mountain Top is conditioned by Noel Daley and P Mac Attack by Nancy Johansson. On the opening day of Freehold’s summer/ fall meet, Sept. 4, LL Jackpot picked up the top prize in the $7,000 first leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Green Acres.
Jim Marshall III guided LL Jackpot in her first win in five career starts in the third-race feature.
She is trained by Ivan Llopez of Millstone, who co-bred and co-owns the daughter of Philos Hanover-Wygant Rose with Louis T. Ferdinand of Clark. She paced the mile in 2:01.2.
Five 2-year-old pacing fillies went to post, four of which are daughters of Rocknroll Hanover, with odds-on favorite Rock My Girl breaking at the start and finishing last.
LL Jackpot took the lead in the opening quarter and drew off to a length-anda half victory over Rocknroll Palz. On Top of the Rock was third by a length and three-quarters.
Stayin Strong, driven by Eric Abbatiello and trained by Julie Miller, was a length-and-a-quarter winner in the $7,000 opening leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes- Green Acres for 2-year-old trotting colts, the third race Sept. 10.
Stayin Strong, a son of Muscles Yankee, picked up his first win in six starts, covering the mile in 2:00.4. He paid $6.20 to win.
Threeupthreedown (Muscle Hill) was second with five-and-a-half lengths to Luv at First Site (Muscle Yankee) in third.
Stayin Strong, bred by Lauren and Robert Tucker, campaigns for Jason and Douglas Allen of Vincentown.
Freehold’s 44-day meet continues through Dec. 1. Racing will take place on Thursdays and Fridays. Post time is 12:30 p.m.