Benefitting from a perfect trip, three-year-old male pacer The Unit won the feature, a $18,310 maiden allowance pace, at Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon, June 26.

The heavily favoured four-year-old Luca Bay (Jimmy Hardy) took a contested lead from 3-2 second choice The Unit and driver Matty Athearn as they passed the quarter in :28.1. Once in front, Luca Bay stepped to the half in :58.1 and three-quarters in 1:26.2, while The Unit laid in wait entering the far turn. That’s where Athearn tipped The Unit and drew alongside Luca Bay, setting up a two-horse sprint to the wire. Luca Bay and The Unit paced in unison around the far turn, into the stretch and all the way down to the line where The Unit made his way to the front by a quarter-length and won in 1:54.3. Caviart Tucker (Bruce Ranger) came on for third.

The Unit, a gelded son of Huntsville out of the multiple stakes-winning mare Big McDeal, is trained by Paul McHugh and owned by David George of Methuen, Massachusetts. After hitting the board in three of his nine starts as a two-year-old, he picked up his second career win in his seventh sophomore start.

The Unit paid $5 to win. 

Athearn ended the day with two wins during the nine-race card, along with Nick Graffam and Kevin Switzer Jr. Nathan Kirker was the top trainer scoring two wins of his own.

Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday, June 29 at 4 p.m. 

(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)