NJ Sire Stakes headlines opening day

Idle since March 7, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and their typical summer break, Freehold Raceway is back in action this Friday (August 28), with a 10-race program. The harness racing card is highlighted by the first division of the New Jersey Sire Stakes- Standardbred Development Fund for 3-year-old filly trotters.

The likely favorite in the field of eight is Tricky Sister, for trainer Andrew Harris and driver Pat Berry. She's been keeping good company this year, most recently finishing third in the Zweig at Vernon Downs, ahead of Hambletonian Oaks winner Sorella, and behind Ramona Hill and Hypnotic AM. Last year, she won the NJSS-SDF Final for 2-year-old trotting fillies over this track, and followed it up with a score in the New Jersey Futurity. She'll leave from post position eight on Saturday.

That race will go as the seventh race, with a scheduled post time of 2:30 PM EDT.

In addition, the card also features the Preferred Handicap trot, scheduled as the eighth race. A pair of Yonkers Raceway invaders headline the field: Melady's Monet and Stormy Kromer. The former is coming off a win in the Preferred at Yonkers, where he trotted a mile in a season's best 1:53.3. He's got post seven for Hermann Heitmann and George Brennan. The latter won four in a row earlier in the year before fading after a wide trip last out. Daniel Dube drives from post position eight, for trainer Paul Stafford.

First post time on Friday at Freehold is 12:30 PM EDT.