STANDARDBRED BREEDERS & OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY

Representing the drivers, trainers, caretakers, breeders and owners of New Jersey

64 Business Route 33

Manalapan, NJ 07726

Phone: 732-462-2357

Fax: 732-409-0741

STANDARDBRED BREEDERS & OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY

Representing the drivers, trainers, caretakers, breeders and owners of New Jersey

64 Business Route 33, Manalapan, NJ 07726 

Phone: 732-462-2357 | Fax: 732-409-0741

BACK

AHLE AND SIEGELMAN TAKE COMMAND OF FREEHOLD'S SATURDAY CARD

Katie Eick, for Freehold Raceway • January 14, 2024

John Ahle and Austin Siegelman left little opportunity for any other driver to score on the 12-race card at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (Jan. 13) ...

FREEHOLD, NJ -- January 13, 2024 -- John Ahle and Austin Siegelman left little opportunity for any other driver to score on the 12-race card at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (Jan. 13). Between the two of them, they won nine races. Ahle had five wins, including the feature, and Siegelman was right behind him with four wins. 


Siegelman was 2023’s leading driver at Freehold and has taken early command of the lead in 2024, now with 11 wins. Siegelman says, “I never imagined I’d win any driving titles, but it’s a great honor and I’m just hoping to stay happy and healthy in 2024 and do it again.” 


One of Siegelman’s steers tactfully took down the hot hands from the previous afternoon, Tyler Miller, who had won three on Friday’s (Jan. 12) eleven-race card. In race eight, Siegelman sat the pocket with He’s Electric behind Miller and the even-money favorite, Just Plain Loco. In the stretch, he was able to sneak by to win by a nose and upset the favorite at 9-2. This made a training double for Mark Ford, who had teamed up with Siegelman earlier in race four to win with Buchannon Hanover.


Siegelman commented on the successful day, “I had good posts and gate speed today, both keys to success at Freehold. Made it possible to put the horses in the right spot and grab four winners.”


John Ahle should be among the top ranks of the leader board for 2024, he currently has 8 wins at Freehold this year, which puts him second behind Siegelman in the rankings. The new year is extremely young, however the current standings may be an indicator of the year to come. 


26-year-old Ahle said, “I thought I had a couple good shots going into today and they all seemed to show up.” One horse that always seems to show up for Ahle was his preferred handicap pacing mount, Yo A J.


In the feature race, Ahle piloted Yo A J at 6-5 from post six for Kathleen LaMontagne. After the wings folded, it looked like Ahle considered taking a spot third on the rail but decided against it and cruised onward to overtake the early leaders instead. From there, he marched along and set the pace, setting fractions of :28.1, :58.0, and 1:27.1. He paced on without facing much pressure from his competitors. Ahle said, “A J was second last week and raced super; he just got caught at the wire off fast fractions. I thought he was the best in there today and with the soft fractions he got the job done easy.” The 5-year-old Betting Line gelding paced the mile 1:56.1. 


When asked about his goals for 2024, Ahle replied, “Don’t really have any set goals. Just want to keep driving and having fun doing it.” So far in 2024, he has 8 wins and finished in the money 20 times in 53 starts. He has seven more drives tonight at the Big M.


Freehold Raceway hosts daytime harness racing every Friday and Saturday starting at 12:30pm.

By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager June 19, 2025
Noel Daley sent out five winners and Nik Drennan had three as Magical Acres held its first of two sessions of qualifiers for 2-year-olds Thursday morning ...
By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager June 18, 2025
Ugottabkidnme represents the entirety of breeder/owner Kevin Kelly’s racing stable, so needless to say, there was a good deal of anticipation ahead of the 2-year-old male trotter’s qualifying debut Wednesday at Gaitway Farm ...
By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager June 18, 2025
Pepsi North America Cup winner Louprint received 26 first-place votes and a total of 340 points to rank No. 1 in the year’s first Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll released Wednesday (June 18) ...
By Courtney Stafford June 17, 2025
The SBOANJ's 29th Annual Golf Outing's schedule of events ...
By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations June 15, 2025
It was bombs away early on Saturday night at The Meadowlands as 10-1, 70-1 and 19-1 shots lit up the board for the first three races, which served as the catalyst for no winning tickets on the 20-cent Pick-5 ...
By mcarter June 15, 2025
The Roll With Joe mare Twin B Joe Fresh cruised to command with a mid-race move and easily maintained her throne atop the aged pacing mare division to score her second straight victory in the C$287,000 Roses Are Red, a Grade 1 stake, on Saturday night (June 14) at Woodbine Mohawk Park ...
More Posts