Only two favorites were victorious on the nine-race Friday (May 17) program at Freehold Raceway ...
FREEHOLD, NJ -- May 17, 2024 -- Only two favorites were victorious on the nine-race Friday (May 17) program at Freehold Raceway.
The card opened with a thrill in the first race. The 1-2 favorite, Dandy Idea, set the pace all the way into the stretch when her challengers closed in on her. This led to a blanket finish where five horses were within one length of the lead. When the photo finish was called official, it was 27-1 shot Neither Do I who had the nose over the favorite. Scott DiDomenico was the winning trainer and went on to earn a training double. Jim Marohn Jr was the victorious driver and went on to earn a triple on the card. A win bet paid $57.80.
That wasn’t the only 27-1 shot winner of the day. In race five, Vintage Gal got away fifth from post five. She stayed there until just after the half where she began her first-over trek to the front. Driver Steve Smith steered the mare three-wide in the final turn and the pair rallied down the stretch to earn a back-to-back win for the mare despite the rise in class. Brandon Mongiello owns and trains the 8-year-old chestnut mare. A win bet paid $57. A winning $0.50 trifecta bet in race six paid $1,018.65.
The card saw multiple $100+ payouts for $1 exactas, $0.50 trifecta, and $0.10 superfecta wagers. The upsets created some tricky Pick 4 and Pick 5 sequences leading to carryovers of $1,722.91 and $674.35, respectively. These will carry-over into tomorrow, Saturday (May 18). The 12-race card will get underway starting at 12:30pm.