Drop Red, Ideal Danny win NJSS splits

Drop Red made it two straight wins as he rolled to a career-best 1:50.4 clocking in the $61,400 second leg of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for 3-year-old colt pacers on Saturday at the Meadowlands.

With George Brennan in the sulky, Drop Red quickly made the top and remained unchallenged through middle fractions of :56 and 1:24 before pulling away to a 2 1/2-length victory. Estero Bay scooted up the pylons to finish second, while Redneck Riviera closed for third on the far outside. The even-money favorite, Drop Red returned a $4 win mutuel.

A son of Red River Hanover-Igottwowordsforyou, Drop Red was a modest $14,000 yearling purchase at the Standardbred Horse Sale in Harrisburg by trainer Bob Horowitz. Retired trainer Randy Perry purchased a share of the pacer at the end of his 2-year-old season. Drop Red improved his career slate to seven wins in 14 starts and looms the one to beat in the $200,000 NJSS Championship on Saturday, May 30. The colt is eligible to the $1 million Meadowlands Pace on July 18.

In the first of the evening's NJSS divisions, Ideal Danny drafted behind the pacesetter Vertical Horizon, angled out in the stretch and held off Dial Or No Dial by a half-length in 1:50.4. Sire Western Ideal completed a sweep of the race with Ideal De Vie (third), Vintage Master (fourth) and Vertical Horizon (fifth) also earning checks.

Bred and owned by D.R. Van Witzenburg, Ideal Danny has now won four of 10 career starts. Erv Miller trains the colt, while his younger brother, Andy Miller, was in the sulky for the win. (Meadowlands)

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