Fresh deck ready to deal

May 24, 2007

While Fresh Deck�s main competition is gearing up for the million-dollar stakes trail ahead, trainer Joe Holloway has made the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic the focus of his colt�s sophomore season. Owned by Val D�or Farms, Ted Gewertz and Schoor-Racing Stable, Fresh Deck drew into the tougher of the two $25,000 eliminations for the New Jersey Classic on Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

The son of Cam�s Card Shark will start from post six in the second race elim, in which he will face 2006 divisional leaders Artzina and Yankee Skyscaper. The top five finishers in each elim advance to the $500,000 final, the richest event in harness racing restricted to state-bred horses, on Saturday, June 2.

A $125,000 yearling purchase at the 2005 Lexington Selected Sale, Fresh Deck made just two starts as a freshman. He finished sixth in the Goshen Cup and fourth in the Niatross at the Meadowlands before having his tack hung up for the season.

"As a 2 year old, he had some minor issues with a knee,� Holloway said. �He went with a few of the top ones early and then he got turned out.�

Holloway brought Fresh Deck back to the races in late January with an eye on the Berry�s Creek and New Jersey Classic at the Meadowlands. Since then, he has finished third or better in all 10 of his starts. He made the first five starts of his sophomore season at Dover Downs in Delaware. After finishing second in his 2007 debut on Jan. 30, he reeled off four straight wins and was then shipped to the Meadowlands, where he continued his streak with a 1:51.1 win on April 1.

Fresh Deck faced his first stakes test of the season in the Berry�s Creek. He finished third behind Wearable in both his elimination and the $225,000 final on May 7.

�This year, he's matured and come back very well,� Holloway said. �I could have gone in some of the earlier series. He was eligible to them all, but I opted not to. I didn't want to go 1:51 in the Junior Trendsetter. I'm not sure that would have won it. You only have so many 1:51 miles in them. I decided to aim for the Berry�s Creek and the New Jersey Classic.

"Horses come to their speed differently than 10, 15 or 20 years ago,� he added. �There are only so many big miles in them. I'm looking at the best spots for them."

Fresh Deck was a convincing 1:51.3 winner over a "sloppy" track in a New Jersey Sire Stakes division last week. Artzina, who was making his 2007 debut, finished fifth in that race.

"He went a very good mile on a track that is awful,� Holloway noted. �He is coming along on schedule.� (Meadowlands)

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