Cane Pace is Monday at Freehold Raceway
Aplace in harness racing history is at stake on Monday with the running of the 53rd Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway.

Yes, the $300,000 estimated purse is nice, but the winner of Monday's race will put his name alongside the sport's alltime greats, joining the likes of legends Albatross, Niatross and Bret Hanover as a Cane winner.

Along with joining the sport's great champions, Monday's winner will be the only one eligible to join an even more exclusive club, that of Triple Crown champion. Only 11 pacers have won the Triple Crown.

The Cane is the first leg of pacing's Crown. The other stops are the Little Brown Jug (Delaware, Ohio, on Sept. 20) and the Messenger Stakes (Yonkers Raceway, Oct. 20).

There is glory for the driver of Monday's winner too. The list of drivers who have won the Cane is a Who's Who of the sport, including the likes of Stanley Dancer and Bill Haughton, and current stars like John Campbell, Ron Pierce and Cat Manzi.

Saturday, Freehold Raceway hosted the $99,156 Cane Pace elimination, which determined Monday's eight-horse field. One pacer who didn't have to worry about being eliminated was Southwind Lynx. As the leading money-earner in 2007, he received a bye to the Labor Day final. With wins in the Meadowlands Pace and the Rooney, Southwind Lynx had easily bankrolled more purse earnings than any other sophomore pacer in the land.

Eight pacers vied for the seven remaining spots Saturday.

An impressive win by Always A Virgin stamped him as perhaps the one to beat in the final. With Brian Sears in the bike, Always A Virgin took the lead after the quarter-mile pole and was never tested winning in a fast 1:51.3. It was the 10th win in 21 career starts for the colt.

Yankee Skyscraper (David Miller) and Fresh Deck (George Brennan) were the place and show horses.

Artzina (John Campbell) was fourth, thanks to a late charge with Honky Tonk Hanover driven by last year's Pace winner. Ron Pierce was fifth. Sixth went to Ghee's House (Yannick Gingras).

Taking seventh and grabbing the final qualifying spot was Tiber Hanover (Jack Baggittt Jr.).

Two elimination races for the $130,000 Battle of Monmouth for 2-yearold pacers were also held on Saturday. The top-four finishers in each race advanced to the final, which will also be on Labor Day Monday.

McCedes (Cat Manzi) won the first heat followed by Dear Mac (Andrew Mc- Carthy), Western Kissed (Jeff Gregory) and Mr. Nice Guy (Jim Pantaleano).

Truponder (John Campbell) went wire to wire in the second race with McArdle Park (Richard Silverman) second. Third and fourth place went to Shoot First (Jeff Gregory) and A Little Crazy (Brian Sears).