Can Lyons Steel make it five straight?

 

The Dennis Watson-trained gelding is no stranger to Freehold: he's won four races there this year. Three starts back, he won the Preferred by half a length in a gate-to-wire effort, storming to a fast early lead and holding on for the win. Since that victory, he's shipped to Harrah's Philadelphia and Yonkers Raceway, and won at both tracks. He was assigned the outside post position eight for his return to the New Jersey half-miler, with Jack Baggitt Jr. down to drive.

 

Perhaps the toughest of his opponents will be Ginger Tree Marty, for Ron Burke. He was bet down to 4/5 favoritism in his most recent start at Freehold, but finished a fast-closing second behind Lyons Steel. He'll seek a rebound off an eighth-place finish at the Meadowlands last week, from post position six.

 

Three recent Freehold winners will also try their luck. Bullet Bob, a recent winner of the NW $5,000 class, and a two-time winner of the Preferred last year, drew post position three. Austin Siegelman drives for trainer Mark Harder.

 

Northern Virgin won the NW $6,000 class at 12/1 two races ago, and returns from a sixth-place finish at Yonkers. Steve Smith will drive for Nick Surick.

 

Andy Miller is named on Surick's other entrant, Rockin M, who won the Preferred over this track on October 5. He won the NW $8,000 by 3/4 of a length last week.

 

Drinkin Again, Texican, and Letschasethedreamn complete the field. The race is scheduled as the seventh on the ten-race card, with an approximate post time of 2:30 PM EST.

 

The first post at Freehold on Saturday is scheduled for 12:30 PM EST.

 

Freehold Raceway will kick off the new month on Friday (December 6) with a nine-race card, headlined by a carryover in the 50-cent pick 5.

The sequence went unsolved on Saturday afternoon, leading to a carryover for Friday of $705.85. The wager begins in race 5, starting at 1:50 PM EST.

Four eight-horse fields and one seven-horse field comprise the sequence. The day's feature race, the sixth race, will be the headliner. It's an upper-level filly and mare pace, drawing a field of eight. Fear My Shadow and Petal to the Metal, second and third at the level last week, return to competition. They drew post positions four and seven, respectively. Jimbelina was 3/5 in that race, but faded late to finish seventh. She'll seek a rebound from post position five.

The first race at Freehold on Friday is scheduled for 12:30 PM EST.