Astreos, Tyberwood top qualifiers for Cane Pace

FREEHOLD — Tyberwood and Astreos won the $55,225 eliminations for Labor Day’s Cane Pace at Freehold Race-way and established themselves as the favorites in the process.

In all, eight horses qualified for the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown during the Aug. 27 eliminations.

Tyberwood was first up in the qualifying heats (race 9) and, with Rich Silverman in the bike, marched off with the win in 1:54.1. It was an impressive victory for the son of Western Hanover, who was parked for most of the mile.

Art Dot Com, who started on the rail, was second followed by Armbro Trench.

Doc Vinall was fourth, but on this day it was as good as a win because he moves to the Cane Pace final.

Astreos stole the show in the second heat (race 11) by equaling the Freehold Raceway track record for 3-year-old pacers at 1:51.4.

Powerful Toy, driven by Luc Ouellette, leaving from post position No. 1, tried to stun the field with his wire-to-wire try.

Powerful Toy charged to the lead out of the gate and set an honest pace. Fractions of 26.4, 54.3 and 1:22.4 assured a fast race.

Mike Lachance had Astreos following Powerful Toy at three-quarters and then had too much horse in the homestretch, cruising to the wire with a last quarter in 29.0 to finish off the record-equaling win.

Powerful Toy held on for second, followed in third by With Held. Aint No Stoppin Him got up for the fourth and final qualifying spot.

Astreos tied the 3-year-old pacer mark set last year by Blissful Hall in the Cane Pace final.

Astreos and Tyberwood will be the clear favorites on Monday. Astreos, the son of Artsplace, has won $538,362 in purses this year with three wins in nine starts. He has a lifetime best of 1:49.3. The 2-year-old Breeders Crown champion was second at the $1 million Meadowlands Pace earlier this year.

Tyberwood has earned $323,412 this year and has a lifetime best of 1:52.1. He has two wins in 11 starts.

More than $700,000 in purses will be on the line Labor Day Monday at Freehold Raceway as, in addition to the $331,350 Cane Pace Final, there will be the $200,000 Lou Babic Memorial Final for 2-year-old pacers and the $150,000 Shady Daisy for 3-year-old filly pacers.

The Babic qualifiers were also run on Aug. 27. The winners of the $15,000 heats were: Nikolaki (Mike Lachance), 1:55.1; Washington (Ray Schnittker), 1:56.1; and Southwind Miranda (David Miller), 1:54.0.

This year will mark the third time Freehold has hosted the Cane Pace, which is in its 46th year. Monday’s winner will be the only pacer with a chance to win the 2000 Triple Crown, which also includes the Little Brown Jug and the Messenger Stakes. Eight pacers have won the Triple Crown — Adios Butler (1959), Bret Hanover (1965), Romeo Hanover (1966), Rum Customer (1968), Most Happy Fella (1970), Niatross (1980), Ralph Hanover (1983) and Western Hanover (1992).

The other legendary Cane Pace winners include Albatross (1971), Keystone Ore (1976), Cam Fella (1982), Jake And Elwood (1990) and Riyadh (1993).

Mike Lachance will be looking for his third Cane Pace victory. He won previously with Righteous Bucks (1987) and Western Dreamer (1997).

Freehold’s own Cat Manzi had a Cane Pace win in 1996 with Scoot To Power.

Hall of Fame driver Stanley Dancer has the most Cane Pane wins, four, with Race Time (1964), Most Happy Fella (1970), Albatross (1971) and Keystone Ore (1976).