Not Afraid wins Dexter Cup at Freehold
May 5, 2012FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) - Not Afraid held off Frost Bites K in the closing strides for a head victory in the $138,300 Dexter Cup for three-year-old trotters at Freehold Raceway on Saturday.
Driven by Ron Pierce and trained by Jimmy Takter, Not Afraid covered the mile in 1:55.4, nearly besting the stakes record of 1:55.3 set in 2009 by Anders Bluestone.
Market Share, sent off as the 2-5 favorite, had his unbeaten streak snapped at six when he made an early challenge for Not Afraid's lead and broke stride for the first time in his career. He finished seventh.
The win was the second in 11 career starts for Not Afraid, who has only finished out of the money once. And it was the fourth Dexter victory for Pierce, whose last won the race in 1998.
The gelded son of 2001 Dexter Cup winner SJ's Caviar, Not Afraid has earned $124,520 overall. He's eligible for the $1.5 million Hambletonian, which will be run Aug. 4 at the Meadowlands.