The track record for aged pacing geldings at Plainridge Park was rewritten on Thursday, July 3 when Vintage Cheddar N stopped the clock in 1:49 in the day’s $34,247 Winners Over Handicap Pace and registered the fastest pacing mile of the meet to this point.  

Vintage Cheddar N (Mitchell Cushing) got away right behind the pacesetting Lifes A Puzzle (Nick Graffam), who was pushed through fast early fractions of :26.3 and :53.3 by the parked-out Grey Horizon (Drew Monti). Positions remained unchanged moving up the backstretch until Grey Horizon started to fade approaching three-quarters in 1:21, and the back of the pack began to swing two- and three-wide around him and into contention.

Lifes A Puzzle continued to pace well around the last turn, but so did Vintage Cheddar N, who was about to make his move heading into the stretch. Vintage Cheddar N tipped and advanced incrementally closer to Lifes A Puzzle as the pair made their way down the lane. The battle continued all the way to the line where Vintage Cheddar N got up by a head to win in 1:49, which set the track record and also a new lifetime mark for the 10-year-old victor. Heinikin Bythebay (Kevin Switzer Jr.) finished third.

The win was the 25th lifetime in 89 starts for Vintage Cheddar N ($6.20), who is owned by his trainer Amanda Kelley, in partnership with VIP Internet Stable LLC. The Betterthancheddar-Howfarnow gelding is three-for-12 this year.

The $26,027 upper-level conditioned pace was won by Ahi Sunshine (Aaron Byron), who got away third before pulling first-over at the half to pace alongside of the leading Instant Replay (Switzer) in a quick :27.1 third quarter. By the top of the stretch, Ahi Sunshine had taken the lead and then held off all comers in the stretch to win by a nose in 1:51.2 in a five-horse photo that revealed all within one half-length of each other. General Montana (Cushing) came out second in the photo, just ahead of show finisher Torrid Saint A (Matt Athearn).

Ahi Sunshine ($11), a five-year-old Sunshine Beach-Racey Miss stallion, is owned by Janie Kellogg and trained by Jackie Greene. He earned a new seasonal mark in his 20th career win in 77 starts.

Scoring two wins apiece, drivers Cushing and Athearn tied for top driving honours. Jackie Greene led all trainers with a double

Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday at 4 p.m., and there will be a $1,749 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in Race 6.

(With files from Plainridge Park)