Keystone Dakota is one of Saratoga Raceway's upper-echelon pacers and is in the midst of a career year. On Tuesday (Oct. 18), he returned to Plainridge Park for the sixth time this season and continued his roll in the $20,000 featured pace at The Ridge.
Brett Beckwith left hard with Keystone Dakota and grabbed the lead in a :26.4 quarter. After a well rated :29.2 second panel, Matty Athearn came rolling up on the outside with Sundown Kid and that challenge pushed the pace to a more expedient :27.3 up the backside. As they raced into the last turn, Keystone Dakota maintained a one length lead over Sundown Kid who continued to dig hard heading into the stretch. Despite that pressure, Keystone Dakota paced on and extended his lead to 1-1/2 lengths at the light where he won in 1:52.
It was a career best tying eighth win of the year for Keystone Dakota ($5.40) -- three of which were taken at Plainridge including his 1:50.2 lifetime mark -- and it pushed his earnings to a personal single season's high $90,745 for owner Howard Jacobs. Melissa Beckwith trains the winner.
Brett Beckwith ended the day with two driving wins but more importantly, currently has the highest win percentage (21 per cent) and the highest UDR (.335) of any driver at Plainridge Park with a minimum of 100 starts.
Kevin Switzer Jr. was the top dash winning driver for the afternoon after scoring a hat trick. Two of Switzer's winners were trained by Elisha Lafreniere who tied for top Tuesday trainer with Bob Marston who also sent two stable members to the winner's enclosure.
Live racing resumes at Plainridge Park at 2 p.m. on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 20). Free full past performance race programs for all live race days can be downloaded by visiting the track's website and clicking the "Racing" tab.
(Standardbred Owners Of Massachusetts)