The saying that March comes in like a lion certainly applies to Jim Marohn Jr. He won four harness races on the first Saturday of March (March 6) at Freehold Raceway.
Marohn got his first win of the day in race 2, as he went gate-to-wire on Sword Ofthe Spirit for trainer Lewis Nunes.
After two runner-up finishes, Marohn got another win in race 7, as Ron Coyne-trained Ozone Blue Chip won the 1-mile race going away.
Marohn completed the hat trick in upset fashion, guiding Ari Allstar to a come-from-behind win in race 10 at 61/1, for trainer Julius Czermann Jr. That is the biggest longshot to win at the Freehold Raceway meet so far, according to a press release.
There were no surprises in race 11, as Marohn polished off his grand slam with an easy win on favored Dream On Dream On, for trainer Ray Ahto.
Marohn also won two races on the March 5 card, making for a six-win week to begin March at Freehold Raceway. His 34 wins are good for second place in the driver standings, trailing only Austin Siegelman, according to the press release.
Trainer Tom Fanning and driver Eric Abbatiello each had a big day at Freehold Raceway on Feb. 27, as they each won three races on the 13-race card.
Fanning won with all three of his starters. He scored his first win in race 6, as Tisadream N just got up for the victory as the 2/5 favorite over Dreamfair Charro. Austin Siegelman had the winning drive.
In the 7th race, Fanning scored an upset, as 31/1 mare Ashtini defeated the boys in a gate-to-wire score. Fanning teamed up with Abbatiello on that one.
In race 9, Fanning completed the hat trick, as Betting Exchange went gate-to-wire as the favorite. Siegelman once again had the drive.
Abbatiello began the day on a winning note, sweeping the early double. He won race 1 on Arque Hanover, who he also co-owns and trains.
In the second race, Abbatiello got up to win a photo with RM Blackhawk, for owner/trainer Brandon Mongiello. Abbatiello teamed up with Fanning on Ashtini in race 7 to complete the hat trick.
18-year-old Brett Beckwith achieved a milestone in his young driving career on Feb. 26, winning his first race at Freehold Raceway, and his second pari-mutuel race in his career.
Driving Beaver Creek Misty in the third race, for owner/trainer John Urbanski, Beckwith sent his drive right to the front and set very slow fractions.
After an opening half-mile in 1:02 2/5, Beckwith sped things up a bit in the third quarter, rattling off that split in 1:32 2/5.
With those slow early fractions, Beaver Creek Misty had enough to scamper away from the field in the stretch and win by two-and-a-quarter lengths, at odds of 3.60-1. The final time for the mile was 2:01 3/5.
Beckwith is the son of driver Mark Beckwith, who has won more than 5,800 races. His grandfather, Jerry Silverman, was inducted into the Harness Hall of Fame as a trainer in 2019. Beckwith began driving in amateur races in 2019 at the age of 16.
In January, Beckwith began driving in pari-mutuel races at Pompano Park in Florida. He won his first pari-mutuel race there on Jan. 26, guiding Amarettigone to victory. His mom, Melissa Beckwith, was the winning trainer, according to a press release.
Live racing resumes at Freehold Raceway on March 12 starting at 12:30 p.m.
