Ron Cushing has been busy filling his barn with New Zealand bred horses this year and is taking no prisoners when they hit the track.
On Monday afternoon Cushing and his ownership partner Kevin Sywyk started two of their Heidi Gibbs-trained bearcats in the $14,000 Winners-Over feature pace at Plainridge Park and came away finishing first and second while taking two opposite routes to the wire.
Delightful Offer N (Ron Cushing) bolted off the gate and took the lead before getting the race to the quarter in a brisk :26. At that Point, Kenrick N (Mitchell Cushing) who had gotten away fifth, pulled early and was slowly was making his way up the outside.
Cushing tapped the brakes with Delightful Offer N and got a pedestrian :30 second quarter and as a result. Kenrick N who was floating third on the outside, was able to continue to advance in the outer flow and brought Grand Theft (Greg Merton) with him.
Sitting chilly with his whip on his shoulder, Cushing rounded the final turn with Delightful Offer N and was pulling away without effort in deep stretch while stablemate Kenrick N was still game, holding off three late closers as they approached the wire. Delightful Offer N was a two-length wrapped-up winner in 1:51.2 ahead of Kenrick N.
It was the second straight win at Plainridge Park for Delightful Offer N ($5.40) and also a new lifetime mark for the seven-year-old son of Bettors Delight.
Shawn Gray put on a driving clinic on Monday, winning half the card. Gray was the victorious pilot with Straightoutaconsin (1:53.4, $3.00), Superbowl Party (1:52.1, $5.80), Duke Of Delray (1:54.1, $3.60), Jacksons Image (1:52.2, $3.20) and One To Draw To (1:51.1, $5.60).
As a result of his performance, Gray shot past Drew Campbell into second in the dash driving derby, just behind the leading Greg Merton. With Campbell having two wins on the day and Merton getting shut out, Merton now leads with 32 wins, Gray is second with 31 and Campbell is third with 29.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon with post time at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)