Childs Play was tested to the wire, but held on for a half-length victory in the $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes-Green Acres Final for three-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday, September 29 at Freehold Raceway, the site of the inaugural Open Space Pace & Festival of Horses.
The Open Space Pace event, which began with a Parade of Horses down Main Street in Freehold, featured bands, vendors and exhibits, celebrity races, petting zoo, a racing under saddle competition, 12 pari-mutuel races and a concert by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.
In the NJSS-Green Acres Final, Childs Play, a daughter of Cams Card Shark, had the lead at every call and was up by a length and a quarter at the top of the stretch. She was challenged by Carolsideal (sired by Western Ideal) through the stretch, but held on for her seventh win in 15 starts this year. It was four and a half lengths to Babe Per View (sired by Rocknroll Hanover) in third. The mile was clocked in 1:56.1.
Eric Abbatiello drove the Ed Hart trainee for W.J. Donovan of Ft Lauderdale, Florida, who purchased her for $50,000 at the Lexington Selected Sale. She now has a career bankroll of $64,692, finishing first or second in 10 of 20 starts. Her prolific dam Duck Duck Goose also produced $800,000-earner Duneside Perch and $540,000-earner Aba Daba Doo.
In the non-wagering $5,000 Racing Under Saddle Trot, Helene Gregory won aboard Armbro Doyle in 2:06.4. The nine-year-old gelding, trained by Rob Harmon and owned by the Harmon Racing Stable LLC of Ramsey, New Jersey, won by 12-3/4 lengths in the field of five.
The Open Space Pace program drew a crowd of 2,855 and wagering of $101,460. The attendance was the highest since 3,842 turned out for Kentucky Derby Day festivities on the first Saturday in May.
(SBOANJ)