Muscle Massive, Priority Photo move forward in NJSS

Muscle Massive made an early move to the lead and gamely dug in to win the first of two $28,200 New Jersey Sire Stakes divisions for 3-year-old trotting colts Friday night at Meadowlands Racetrack.

Plan Of Action took the field to the quarter-pole in a tepid :29 seconds, prompting driver Ron Pierce and Muscle Massive to make an early move out of the pocket.  They cleared the lead mid-way down the backstretch and ticked off middle fractions of :56.4 and 1:26 en route to a length victory in 1:53.3.  Muscle Massive's clocking equaled the New Jersey Sire Stakes record for a sophomore trotting colt.  New York Yank (2005) and Operation Lindy (2007) share the milestone.

Muscle Massive, a son of Muscles Yankee, paid $24.40 to win the third race.  Temple Of Doom tipped out on the final turn and closed for second, while heavy favorite Break The Bank rallied from far back to finish third.  Muscle Massive notched his third win in eight career starts for trainer Jimmy Takter and Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, Al Libfeld and Louie Camera, all of Ontario, and Order By Stable and Brixton Medical Ab, both of Sweden.

Sons of Classic Photo seized the lion's share of the purse in the second sire stakes division as Priority Photo got up in the final strides over Take My Picture in 1:54.4.  With driver-trainer Trond Smedshammer in the sulky, Priority Photo cut a soft :29.1 opening quarter and yielded to Take My Picture before the half..  He shook loose from the pylons in deep stretch to catch Take My Picture by a head at the wire.  A 25-1 shot, Priority Photo paid $53.20.  The First Time closed to finish third.

It was the second career win for Priority Photo, who also won the Bluegrass at The Red Mile last fall.  The colt improved his bankroll to $67,868 for Smedshammer of Allentown, NJ and co-owners Ted Gewertz of New York, NY and Robert Feldman of Gladwyne, PA.

The $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes Championship for 3-year-old colt trotters is one of four rich stakes races for state-sired horses to be raced June 12 at Meadowlands Racetrack.  It shares the marquee with the $200,000 sire stakes championship for filly trotters and the $500,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic and $175,000 Thomas D'Altrui Miss New Jersey for 3-year-old pacers.

The American Harness Drivers Spring Pacing Final for amateur drivers was contested prior to the start of Friday night's card.  Miguel Lopez steered Seas In Me to a neck victory over David Yarrock and Benzorama in 1:57.3.  (Meadowlands)