Lazarus colt claims NJSS Final in fastest time of 2022

Lazarus colt Voukefalas was an impressive winner of the $240,000 New Jersey Sires Stakes (NJSS) Final at The Meadowlands on Friday (US time), outclassing his rivals with a powerful finish in the fastest time of the season for a 2-year-old pacer.

The Michael Russo trained 2-year-old strode to the lead past the quarter pole, reaching the half way mark in the quickest time of the meeting, 54.2.

Rounding the home turn, Voukefalas shook off the challenge of the race favourite Lifes A Puzzle and kicked clear late to win by two and three-quarter lengths in 1:50 flat – the fastest time recorded by a 2-year-old in 2022.

It was Voukefalas’s maiden win, having previously recorded placings in both NJSS preliminaries, and took his earnings to $127,200 from three starts to date, making him the richest 2-year-old colt in North America this year.

Bred and raced by Michael Pagonus, Voukefalas is out of the well performed Cams Fortune mare Inittowinafortune, the winner of 38 races and almost $700,000 in stakes.

Lazarus has enjoyed a phenomenal start to his stud career with his first crop in North America and is currently the second leading sire of 2-year-old pacers, behind only Captaintreacherous.