Trotters Take Spotlight At Plainridge Park
![Big Al](/sites/default/files/styles/headline_image_1024_x_577/public/2023-05/Big-Al-May8-1024px.jpg?itok=y9Qb2qdB)
The trotters took center stage at
The premier class was the $25,000 Winners-Over class where Big Al M (Matty Athearn) led all the way. After setting fractional times of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:26, Big Al M took a two length lead into the stretch and made it four at the line where he got his first win of the year in 1:54.3.
Big Al M ($3.60) is owned and trained by Zachary Vickerson.
Athearn ended the day with a total of two wins to lead all drivers.
The undercard was a pair of $17,500 conditioned events for six-year-olds and under.
In the first, Crescent Beauty (Bruce Ranger) got away a distant third behind Wallet (Nick Graffam), who was on top by five at the :55.2 half. Ranger pulled Crescent Beauty at the five-eighths and started to chip away at Wallet’s lead. By the top of the last turn, Crescent Beauty caught the leader and then found room at the pylons to advance. She turned for home and trotted to the beam under no urging with a 3-1/2 length lead and a new lifetime mark of 1:54.4.
A 16-time winner in 2022, Crescent Beauty ($17) got her first of this season for owner William Hartt and trainer Lance Hudson.
The other split of this class went to Skyway Professor (John Beckwith), who struck the front just past the quarter, opened up a three-length lead at the 1:26.3 three-quarters and then held off a late closing Unique Kemp (Jordan Derue) in deep stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.1, giving him a new seasonal mark.
It was the third win in the last five starts for Skyway Professor ($6.20) and owners Thomas Greeley and Dennis Whittemore, who also does the training.
There was one $17,500 pace on Monday to note, where Vel Letsroll South (Nick Graffam) put on a devastating performance. After setting fractions of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:24.3 with a gapped advantage throughout, Vel Letsroll South simply cruised home under a line drive to win by four in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.
Vel Letsroll South ($3.40) is owned by Moo Coo and is trained by Matty Medeiros.
Eleven different trainers each won one race during the afternoon.
When live harness racing resumes at
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