Deadline Hall took full advantage of a pocket trip to narrowly nab College Tuition in the $16,667 Open Handicap Trot at Rosecroft Raceway on Thursday, April 9, and his 1:54.2 score kicked off a banner night for driver Jonathan Roberts and trainer Michael Hall.

The six-year-old Muscle Mass gelding left for a two-hole ride behind College Tuition (driven by Russell Foster), who carved out early fractions of :26.2, :56.1 an 1:25 and faced a first-over challenge from Inferno DK (Roger Plante Jr.) on the far turn. After drafting the pacesetter for seven-eighths of the mile, Deadline Hall dove to the open stretch and lifted to stick his nose just in front of College Tuition right at the winning post. Inferno DK finished a game third.

Deadline Hall, a 17-time winner who paid $2.60 as the 1-5 favourite, has now won four races in a row for co-owners Hall and Manklin Creek LLC. He provided Roberts his first of six driving wins on the 13-race program and Hall his first of three training wins. The duo also combined with Villannah (1:54.4, $3) and Wrinklesschminkles (1:56, $9.20).

Roberts' other driving wins came with Brittany Bounds trainee Auntmillysmartini (1:54, $8.60) and Brian Burton trainees Stress Free (1:54.2, $3.80) and Half A Virgin (1:55.3, $4).

CALLAHAN GOES OUT A WINNER: Touch Of White and driver Frank Milby proved resolute in their 1:57.1 victory over Little Georgie in a $7,639 conditioned trot, giving trainer Shaun Callahan, who unexpectedly died Monday, April 6 at the age of 44, his 416th and final career win.

The nine-year-old Keystone Activator gelding was bred by Shaun's brother Aaron; is owned by his mother, Dolly, as Breakaway Racing; and was warmed up before the race by his father, Nicholas, who took to the track in Shaun's colors and was joined trackside by the Rosecroft horsepeople for a moment of silence in his son's memory earlier in the card.

Live harness racing returns to Rosecroft on Monday (April 13) with a 13-race card due to begin at 7:15 p.m. (EDT) and a $4,305.71 Jackpot Hi-5 carryover in the finale. 

(Rosecroft; photo of Deadline Hall and Jonathan Roberts from a previous victory)