Track record falls at Freehold in Sire Stakes trotting race
Spam Spade does mile in 1:55.4
Sire Stakes action produced a new track record at Freehold Raceway on Friday.

Spam Spade lowered the track's 3- year-old trotting geldings to 1:55.4 in winning the $23,250 first division of the opening round of the New Jersey Sire Stakes (NJSS).

The former track and NJSS mark was 1:56, first achieved by Arnold Plunstead in 1987 and matched by Armbro Copenhagen in 2005 and Green Day in 2007.

Green Day holds the world record at 1:55.1.

Driven by Millstone's Andy Miller, Spam Spade beat Dream Vacation to the wire by a full length. It was the gelding's third win in seven starts this year and raised his lifetime earnings to more than $41,000. Julie Miller is Spam Spade's trainer.

Better Than Most was the second division of the NJSS in a lifetime best 1:58.1. Jeff Gregory drove Better Than Most to a four-length win and his second win in three starts in 2008.

The four-week NJSS series continues with preliminaries on Friday and again on Aug. 29. The $85,000 final is set for Sept. 5 at Freehold.

Also on Friday, Muscle Shirt won the $70,000 Helen Smith Final. Harness Hall of Famer Cat Manzi guided the daughter of Muscles Yankee to the win, 1:56.3. She pulled away in the stretch winning by twoand one-quarter lengths.

Muscle Shirt raised her career earnings to more than $112,000.

This was Manzi's second win in the Smith.

The Helen Smith Trot is restricted to fillies sired by New Jersey Stallions and is sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey.

Originally, the Helen Smith was named the Charles I. Smith Trot. Charles Smith was a harness racing pioneer in the Garden State and a founder of the NJSS and an owner of trotters. The race was renamed in 1995 to honor Smith's late wife, Helen, who was an SBOANJ member.

Two-year-old pacing colts were featured in Saturday's NJSAA action at Freehold Raceway. Unbeaten Dial Or No Dial extended his winning streak to four, capturing the second of three $20,500 secondround divisions of the NJSS for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The Western Ideal sired Dial Or No Dial won by half a length in 1:55.2 for driver Brian Sears. Earlier this year at the Meadowlands, Dial Or No Dial put down a 1:51.4 mark.

Fireintheshark won the first division in 1:54.4 for Jason Bartlett, and All-American Improv won the third division in 1:55. Jeff Gregory had control of the reins.

Fort Monmouth's John Norton is headed for Las Vegas to compete in the 2009 Horseplayer World Series, thanks to his win Saturday in the Freehold Raceway Handicapping Contest. He beat 59 other handicappers. Norton finished with a bankroll of $608.50 and took home the top prize of $3,450.

It was Norton's second win in the contest. He took home the top prize in November 2006.

Live racing continues at Freehold Tuesday through Saturday afternoons. Post time is 12:30 p.m.

On Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1, Freehold will host the $300,000 (est.) Cane Pace, the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown.