Just as his size dwarfed his competitors, Big Cal’s performance did as well today as he easily won the $12,000 conditioned pacing feature at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Leaving from the pylons, Big Cal (Greg Merton) went right for the front while everyone else took a seat behind him. Motoring on a loose-lead under a snug hold, Big Cal tripped the timers at :26.4 and :56.1 before Riproy (Ron Cushing) pulled from third to get even with the leader. That encounter lasted about halfway through the last turn when Merton fed Big Cal some line and he started to rebuff the challenge. With two taps in the lane, Big Cal paced away to a four-length win in 1:53.1.
It was the first win of the year for Big Cal ($9.80) but it produced a new lifetime mark for the four-year-old son of Big Jim who is owned by Robert Pelc, Jr. and trained by Shawn Answeeney.
There were also two $10,000 filly and mares conditioned paces that produced opposing mutuels.
After being locked in and shuffled back to last, driver Michael Stevenson was able to find a crack in a wall of parked horses with Cameo Delight and snuck out fifth before tipping four-wide down the lane to unleash a torrid brush by his mare that blew by everyone to win by a length in 1:54.
It was the second consecutive victory for Cameo Delight ($19.80) who is owned by Deborah Espinosa and Bruce Espinosa, that also trains the winner.
In the other scratch-shortened co-feature, Im Saving Myself (Greg Merton) did just that; she sat third at the rail until the three-quarter pole when she pulled and brushed to the lead. Down the lane Im Saving Myself turned it on and opened up two lengths under a Merton hand drive to win in 1:55.4.
Im Saving Myself ($4.80) was a first-time winner this year but also took a new lifetime mark in the process. The four-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin is owned by Raymond Rogers and trained by Brian Lamb.
Plainridge Park leading driver Greg Merton had the hot hand in the bike Tuesday winning three races on the afternoon while second place dash driver Kevin Switzer, Jr. captured two.
Trainer Scott Rollins moved into sixth place among resident conditioners for wins as he sent three of his students to the winners circle today while Brian Lamb and Shawn Answeeney each captured two victories apiece.
Racing resumes on Thursday afternoon (June 22) with post time set at 4 p.m. Thursday’s feature race is the $17,000 Open Handicap trot which has the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot eligible Mambo Lindy installed as the 6-5 morning line favourite.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)