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Sunday, July 28, 2013

SBOANJ - JOHNY ROCK & I LUV THE NITELIFE TAKE NEW JERSEY PREPS



MANALAPAN, NJ – July 27, 2013 – Johny Rock and I Luv the Nitelife, both offspring of Rocknroll Hanover, turned in winning performances in stakes preps on Saturday night, July 27, 2013 at the Meadowlands.

Both will be back on Hambletonian Day, August 3, for the finals of the most prestigious events for New Jersey-sired pacers, the $250,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic for three-year-old colts and the $125,000 Thomas D’Altrui Miss New Jersey for three-year-old fillies.

For a 1-5 shot, I Luv The Nitelife made it interesting, briefly relinquishing the lead in the stretch and holding on for a nose victory in the $20,000 Miss New Jersey Prep, the first race.

The Chris Ryder trainee picked up her seventh win in eight starts this year.  Tim Tetrick guided her to a win in 1:50.3.

The only mar on the filly’s record this year was a third place finish – a half a length back – in the $150,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Final on June 1.  That race was won by Ms Caila J Fra and Jerseylicious was second. 

This time it was Jerseylicious who tested I Luv The Nitelife in the stretch but was dispatched in the final strides while Ms Caila J Fra was third by two lengths.  Both Jerseylicious and Ms Caila J Fra are daughters of Western Ideal.

I Luv The Nitelife [$2.40], who won the $384,044 Fan Hanover, the $300,000 Lynch and the $184,250 Mistletoe Shalee this summer, now has a six-race winning streak and has finished in-the-money in 17 of 18 lifetime starts.  She has banked $1.2 million for Richard and Joanne Young of Coconut Creek, FL.

The balance of the order of finish was Ideal Ginny, Authorize, JK Letitgo and Certified Ideal, all daughters of Western Ideal.

All seven fillies will face off in the final.  The stakes record of 1:50 by Put On A Show will be on the line.

The colts took center stage in the $25,000 New Jersey Classic Prep, the fourth race, as 5-1 Johny Rock scored three-length tally in a career best 1:50.1.

Early on driver Andy Miller had to wrestle Johny Rock, who was leaving from the outside post and was distracted at the start by the front paddock.  But Miller put the Rocknroll Hanover colt on the lead on the first turn and was never challenged.  Entrymates Emeritus Maximus and Wake Up Peter, both sons of Rocknroll Hanover, made a bid in the stretch with Emeritus Maximus edging out Wake Up Peter.

Johny Rock [$13] trained by John Butenschoen, posted his second win with two seconds and one third in 10 starts this year.  His career totals include seven wins, six seconds and one third from 20 attempts.  He has now banked $270,000 for William Wiswell of Elkhorn, WI, Jean Goehlen of Aurora, IL and Eugene Schick of Elgin, IL.

The balance of the order of finish was Rockin Amadeus, Ideal Carver, Always There, Only The Lonely, Rocks N Bonds and Real Rocker.  Always There, Only The Lonely and Ideal Carver are by Western Ideal.  The others are by Rocknroll Hanover.

All advance to the final along with two other colts, Lucan Hanover, who is racing in the Summertime Pacing Series Final at Mohawk on Monday, and Word Power, who was third in Saturday afternoon’s Delvin Miller Adios at the Meadows.

The New Jersey Classic and Miss New Jersey are both sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.

--Submitted by Carol Hodes for the SBOANJ