Despite a chill in the air, big miles were still produced in the top trots at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon, Oct. 27. 

In the featured $35,211 Open Handicap Trot, Memorynimagination ($22.60), driven by Matty Athearn, turned a backside brush into a victory that matched his career best. 

Memorynimagination got away third as Big Box Hanover (Nick Graffam) and Sforza (Brett Beckwith) traded leads to the :27.3 quarter. Once settled on top, Sforza went to the half in :56.2 before an outer flow led by Memorynimagination set up, motoring to three-quarters in 1:25. Memorynimagination overtook Big Box Hanover but still had Marquis Lafayette (Bruce Ranger) on his back to contend with. When they turned for home, Marquis Lafayette moved to the outside and bore down on the leader. Marquis Lafayette made up 1-1/4 lengths in the stretch, but came up one-quarter length short as Memorynimagination hung on to win in 1:53.3, matching his lifetime mark. Sforza was third.

The triumph was the seventh of the year in 34 starts for Memorynimagination, who went over the $150,000 mark in earnings for 2025 for owner Joe Trice of Hampden, Maine. Jimmy Nickerson trains the four-year-old Father Patrick-Fellowship Of Two gelding, now a career winner of 13 races. 

Earlier in the $28,169 Open II Handicap Trot, A New Leader ($5) and trainer/driver Mitchell Cushing went right to the front and marched smartly to his 17th career win and in his fastest clocking ever. 

When the gate released the field, A New Leader was unchallenged to the front and set quarters of :27.4, :56.1 and 1:24.3 while slight favourite Morning Edition (Shawn Gray) sat in the pocket allowing the leader to do the work. With no serious challenge from behind, the top two trotters separated in the far turn, where Morning Edition vacated the pocket to take his best shot. But that shot fell short as A New Leader closed out his mission and won in 1:52.4 and took a new lifetime mark. Morning Edition finished three-quarters of a length behind second and Heavens Pic (Bruce Ranger) followed back in third.

A New Leader is owned by Cushing and Ray Lasky of Mechanicville, New York. The Trixton-Miss Directed gelding earned his sixth win of the season in 29 starts, sending his 2025 earnings over $175,000.

The leading driver on Monday was Brett Beckwith with three winners and the leading trainer was Brian Lamb with two tallies. 

Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. On Thursday, Oct. 30, Plainridge Park will host the $1.2 million USD finals of the Massachusetts Breeders Stakes.

(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)