Negotiator found favourable cover and drafted to a win in the $35,211 Baystate Special for pacers over a track rated good at Plainridge Park on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Negotiator (Mitchell Cushing) sat fifth as Anvil Hands (Jim Hardy) moved to the front just after the quarter in :26.4 and led at the half in :56. Jettingtomalibu (Bruce Ranger) pulled first-over just before that second station, and Negotiator was glued to his back. Jettingtomalibu drew alongside Anvil Hands at three-quarters in 1:23.3, and by the top of the stretch, he had taken the lead. Negotiator then moved to the centre of the track and chased down Jettingtomalibu by a half-length in deep-stretch to score in 1:52.2. P L Pasquale (Kevin Switzer Jr.) closed for show.

Negotiator ($4.60) won for the second time in Baystate events and upped his career tally to 14-for-41. The four-year-old son of Somestarsomewhere-Fox Valley Jazzy is owned by Ray Lasky and trainer-driver Cushing.

There were also two sub-featured $28,169 paces on the card.

In the other Baystate Special, Er Griffin (Nick Graffam) led at every station, putting up splits of :27.2, :56 and 1:23.3, and dashed to the line three-quarters of a length ahead of Varney (Brett Beckwith) in 1:52.1. Bang Ah Uey (Jim Hardy) finished third. Mike Eaton trains Er Griffin ($2.60), a five-year-old son of Riggins-Susie Girl, and co-owns him with Bob McHugh, Robert Griffin and Russell Young.

In an upper-level conditioned event, Frisco Bay N (Beckwith) cut the fractions of :27, :56.1 and 1:23.1 before turning for home and holding off a fast-closing Justcallmebuck (Switzer) by a neck in 1:53. Wunderkindbluechip (Cushing) was alongside them in third. Frisco Bay N ($20.60), a five-year-old Downbytheseaside-Idealistic gelding, is owned by Kellogg Racing Stables LLC and is trained by Jackie Greene.

Drivers Beckwith, Nick Graffam and Cushing and trainers Greene and Mike Graffam all won two races during the afternoon.

Plainridge will be dark on Thanksgiving Thursday, but live racing will resume on Friday, Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. to close out the 2025 meet. 

(With files from the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)