By Carol Hodes for the
SBOANJ
MANALAPAN, NJ – September
12, 2014 - Trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer fired Skates N Plates off the gate
and was never headed, winning the $55,000 Charles I. Smith Trot, the seventh
race on Friday, September 12, 2014 at Freehold Raceway.
The Charles I. Smith is restricted
to New Jersey-sired three-year-old trotters and sponsored by the Standardbred
Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
Skates N Plates, who is by
Revenue, was tested by 1-2 favorite Hillustrious both in the first quarter and
again in the homestretch, but repelled the son of Muscle Hill both times for a
three-quarter length victory in 1:56.3. It was four lengths to Angels
Ransom [Revenue] in third.
Skates N Plates [$19.40]
picked up his third win with a second and a third in 13 starts in 2014.
Owned and bred by Robert J. Key of Leechburg, PA, he has banked $87,703 this
year and $162,541 for his career.
The stakes record for the
Smith of 1:55.4 was set in 2010 by Flex The Muscle [Muscles Yankee].
In the co-featured $7,000
opening leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes-Green Acres for two-year-old trotting
fillies, carded as the third race, Model Behavior [Muscles Yankee-Marla Bar]
was a three-quarter –length winner over Prinsessa [Muscle Hill] in
2:02.2. Contraire [Muscles Yankee] was third by a length.
Model Behavior, driven by
Eric Abbatiello and trained by Robert Baggitt Jr., is owned by her breeder,
Fair Winds Farm of Cream Ridge, NJ. She now has two wins in five starts.
