On Monday (Nov. 9) afternoon, Plainridge Park was littered with longshots and big payouts, and the biggest of all came to one lucky winner who hit the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in the day’s ninth race. After the pool continued to grow for several weeks, there was a $38,111 USD carryover for that wager in the race and the single unique combination of 9/5/3/6/8 returned $41,588.34 USD for the 20-cent bet.

Smokin Molly (1:55.4, Matty Athearn) topped the ticket from post nine at 4-1 and was followed by longshots Mixed Emotion (13-1, Todd O’Dea) who finished second and Zippidy Zoom (45-1, Bruce Ranger) who finished fourth, both of which brought significant value to the ticket.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg. There were plenty of generous payoffs throughout the card besides that main event as only three favourites from the 11 races got home on top.

Seafood CC (1:55, Jimmy Hardy) won and paid $21.60, McCusker (1:55.2, Kevin Switzer Jr.) won and paid $23.20 and Bang Ah Uey (1:53, Jimmy Hardy) finished first and returned $54.40 for the win, while triggering a $1,058.80 USD exacta and $5,521 USD trifecta, both for a $2 bet.

The feature race on Monday was a $35,211 Starter Allowance pace that was won by Negotiator (Mitchell Cushing) who sat second behind Sweet Street Lou (Kevin Switzer Jr.) while he cut quarters of :27.1, :55.2 and 1:23.1 to three-quarters. As the race moved through the far turn, Negotiator tipped off cover to advance and Th Kay C Crunch (Brett Beckwith) and Low Rider (Matty Athearn) were right behind him, closing quickly as well. In the stretch, Negotiator pulled to the front and then held off Low Rider by a head in the shadow of the wire to win in 1:52, tying his seasonal best time.

Negotiator ($7.20) is owned by Ray Lasky of Mechanicville, NY and his driver, Mitchell Cushing of Ballston Spa, NY, who also trains the winner. It was the 17th career victory for the five-year-old Somestarsomewhere-Fox Valley Jazzy gelding.

Cushing would also add two more driving wins with Star Speaker (1:53.2, $4.00) and Lone Survivor (1:54.1, $4.40). Those three wins came in races four through six, giving him a natural hat trick at the lines and a total of four victories between his two positions. Cushing also had two seconds and two thirds from his 10 starts, giving him a one day UDR of .478.

But Cushing’s three driving wins were outdone by Kevin Switzer Jr. who knocked it out of the park with a grand slam on Monday. Switzer won with Cash Vaughn (1:53.3, $13.00), the aforementioned McCusker (1:55.2, $23.20), Venice Blue Chip (1:54.1, $4.20) and Mollys Game (1:53.2, $8.40).

Racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Nov. 10) at 1 p.m. There are only seven more racing days left in the 2026 live harness racing meet at Plainridge Park, with action coming to a close on Tuesday , Nov. 24.

(With files from The Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts; Photo of Negotiator winning on Nov. 9)