After scoring an impressive victory in the 2023 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot that saw him grinding uncovered from the half to the wire, Its Academic will return to Plainridge Park on Sunday, July 21 to try and repeat in this year’s edition of the $250,000 USD trotting classic as one of nine starters who will make up the full field going postward.

Its Academic, who is trained by U.S. Hall of Famer Ron Burke, will be joined by his stablemate Chapercraz, who is coming off an impressive victory of his own just one week ago in the $582,192 Hambletonian Maturity at The Meadowlands.

Its Academic had a career year in 2023 with eight wins and $984,294 in earnings and, as a result, was named the Aged Trotter of the Year in Ohio. He had a six-month break over the winter and after qualifying three times this spring, made his first start back at The Meadowlands in the $179,795 Crawford Farms Trot where he put in a very solid effort on June 29.   

“He trained back very well, but we just haven’t been able to find races for him in the early part of the year," said Burke. "He only has one start back this year in the Crawford where he finished fourth in 1:49.2 and he trotted home in :26.3. So with that as a tightener, I expect him to be very good this week. He trained well coming into this and he should be ready.

“From here on out, the schedule picks up a little for the older trotters and he has races coming up on Hambo day, in Canada, Lexington, Dayton, Indiana, so he will have a good share of work from here out.”

If Its Academic were able to repeat, he would join only Manchego who went back-to-back in the Spirit in 2020 and 2021.

Chapercraz was purchased by the Burke Brigade just over a year ago and has been a very high percentage performer ever since. After earning just shy of one-half million in 2023, Chapercraz started this year seven out of 10 in the money, but with no wins. But that changed last week when he won the Hambo Maturity on Saturday, July 13.

“He’s actually been racing just alright, but then he started to get better," said Burke. "I really thought he could have won the Graduate final on July 6, but we got locked in and we didn’t get out. But then last week, we got locked in and were lucky to get out and he got the job done.

“He’s really coming back around. He’s a big, heavy horse and it took him a little bit longer to get ready. But I think he’s our top older trotter for the next few years. He can do everything. He can leave, he can race from the back, he can race any size track. He’s really become a very nice horse.”

Proof of that is his winning the New York Sire Stakes final at Yonkers Raceway and setting the track record at Buffalo Raceway, both half-milers, and he’s three-for-three on five-eighths-mile ovals.

Burke also pointed out that both trotters will have their regular drivers on Sunday which is always important.

Another starter from the Burke barn on Sunday will be Beach Cowgirl, who will compete in the $100,000 USD Clara Barton Distaff Pace, which is the main undercard event to the Spirit.

Beach Cowgirl was a perfect four-for-four as a two-year-old and a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion. Last year, she added a number of Grand Circuit stakes to her schedule and eventually finished fourth in the Breeders Crown, only 2-1/4 lengths behind the winner, Sylvia Hanover. This year, as a four-year-old, she has transitioned nicely to facing older mares and Burke says she will be a player here.

“Beach Cowgirl is actually better than she looks. She really didn’t seem to like Yonkers, so we took her back to The Meadowlands for the Dorothy Haughton and she had no chance from post nine. But before that, she was really good and I expect her to be very good this week. We look to race her aggressively this week,” concluded Burke.

The high-powered Spirit of Massachusetts card will also feature the $75,000 USD Bert Beckwith Invitational Pace, $50,000 USD John Hogan Memorial Pace, $25,000 USD Frank Dubreuil Memorial Pace and $22,500 USD Elmer Smith Memorial Pace. All told, the card will offer $607,000 USD in purses.

The Clara Barton will go as race seven with a post time of 4 p.m. and the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot is carded as race nine with a post time of 4:40 p.m. The fields are listed below. Post time for the first race on Sunday is 2 p.m. 

$250,000 USD Spirit of Massachusetts Trot 
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Buddy Earl - Matty Athearn - Gretchen Athearn
2. Logan Park - Doug McNair - Rob Fellows
3. Esplosione - Doug McNair - Rob Fellows 
4. Take All Comers - Todd McCarthy - Jim Campbell
5. Chapercraz - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
6. Its Academic - David Miller - Ron Burke 
7. Delayed Hanover - Jordan Stratton - Kevin McDermott
8. Incommunicado - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt 
9. Helpfirstedition - Scott Zeron - Linda Toscano

$100,000 USD Clara Barton Distaff Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Sylvia Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Mark Steacy
2. Sweet Cheyanne - Scott Zeron - Jeff Cullipher
3. Beach Cowgirl - David Miller - Ron Burke 
4. Talk Curdy To Me David Miller Jeff Cullipher 
5. Always B Naughty - Andrew McCarthy - Nancy Takter
6. Grace Hill - Doug McNair - Virgil Morgan Jr.
7. Valar Dohaeris - Tim Tetrick - Ake Svanstedt 

(Plainridge Park)