The first $10,000 leg of the special Columbus Day weekend trotting series for Plainridge Park-based horses dubbed 'The Nina' was held on Sunday, Oct. 13 and fittingly enough was won by Pirate in a come-from-behind effort.
L Dees Yoyo Ma took the lead and set a speedy tempo from the start. Hitting the splits in :28.1, :57.3 and 1:25.4, L Dees Yoyo Ma took a three-length advantage into the final turn of the race. Pirate, who had gotten away fifth, was drafting second over behind the favoured Mouthpiece at that last station and looked to have a lot of trot. Turning for home Pirate made his way to second but still had two lengths to make up on the leader. Driver Ivan Davies kept urging Pirate down the lane and continued to gain, eventually catching L Dees Yoyo Ma at the wire in 1:56.
It was the fifth win of the year for Pirate and owners Earl and Kathy Beaman. His driver Davies also trains the winner. He paid $7.00 to win.
There will be one more leg of The Nina next Sunday, Oct. 20, culminating in a $20,000 final on Sunday, Oct. 27.
There were also five divisions of five-year-old and under non-winner events on the card that were highlighted by two particular pacing performances.
Pure Sunshine drafted second for almost the whole mile before tipping out at the top of the far turn to run down Chief Of Staff in the stretch to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths in a lifetime mark of 1:54.1.
Pure Sunshine is a three-year-old colt owned by Barbara Berger, Tamms Horse Farm, Theresa Donnelly and Fernando Amesti Jr. Ron Cushing drove the $16.20 winner for trainer Heidi Gibbs.
Earlier in the card Levi put in an impressive gate-to-wire showing to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths over a fast-closing Wild Eyed Yankee in 1:54.4. Levi is owned by Stephen Richard and is trained by his driver Scott Renz. He paid $4.00 to win.
Levi is a Massachusetts-bred three-year-old gelding who currently sits in second place in the $1.8 million Massachusetts Sire Stakes. The series is off this week but will return to action next Sunday afternoon, Oct. 20.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m.
(Plainridge Park)