Alex Having Fun has been one of the best top-end pacers at Plainridge Park in recent years, and the nine-year-old hit a new peak on Thursday, June 4 as he won the featured $34,722 Open Handicap Pace in 1:48.3, setting a new track record for aged pacing geldings.

Matty Athearn slid the 22-1 Alex Having Fun into the pocket behind a determined Jamaican Rock A (Chris Long), who fired through fast fractions of :25.4, :53.4 and 1:20.3. Jamaican Rock A continued to lead as they entered the last turn, but before they spun out of it, Athearn had Alex Having Fun in the two-path and raging with pace. At the top of the stretch, Alex Having Fun blew by the leader and stretched out to a two-length win in 1:48.3, a new lifetime mark along with the track record. Two Fold Cold (David Ingraham) was third.

Alex Having Fun took his third straight win, rising in class after victories in two optional claimers to improve to five-for-14 this year. Kimberly Vafiades owns and trains the son of Rock N Roll Heaven-Arterra, who is now 45-for-196 lifetime. The win price was $46.60.

In the $34,722 optional-claiming pace, Hes Coming On (Mitchell Cushing) took a similar path to victory as he sat in the garden spot behind Stellar Yankee (Ron Cushing) through the quarter in :25.4 and half in :54.2. Jettingtomalibu (Kevin Switzer Jr.) moved first-over and pushed the leader to three-quarters in 1:21.3, and positions remained unchanged to the top of the stretch. Hes Coming On found room at the pegs in the lane and bolted to the lead and then held off the fast-closing Confederatestar N (Matty Athearn) to win by a neck in 1:50.1. Stellar Yankee completed the ticket.

The win was the second in a row and fourth of the year in eight outings for Hes Coming On ($20.80), who is owned by George Anthony Jr. and trained by Julia Eaton. The five-year-old Sunshine Beach-Cool Yankee gelding won for the 20th time in 74 career outings.

Two other horses took lifetime marks in upper-level conditioned action. Franco Tyson A ($39.40) won the $30,556 event in 1:49.1 for owner/trainer/driver Larry Stalbaum, and So Rock N Roll ($10.60) scored a 1:50.3 win in the $31,250 pace with Nick Graffam at the lines for trainer Benson Merrill and owner Leighton Property.

Drivers Matty Athearn, Mitchell Cushing, Nick Graffam and Jay Randall all had two wins apiece on Thursday, while 10 different trainers each won one race on the program.

Racing resumes at Plainridge on Friday at 4 p.m. There will be a $36,279 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the sixth race.

(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts).