The third leg of Massachusetts Breeders Stakes for two-year-old participants of both gaits and genders was held at Plainridge Park on Monday, Oct. 19 and multiple pages of several record books were re-written when the dust had settled at the end of the afternoon.
There were seven stake races -- split divisions for all but the male trotters -- that went for a combined $471,830 in purses. Seven new lifetime marks were set along with three track records, three stakes records and three horses established as being the fastest ever bred in the state of Massachusetts. Driver Yannick Gingras scored a stakes hat trick while trainer George Ducharme had two wins and was the top conditioner in the seven events.
The fastest group of the day was the second group of male pacers who hit the track for $59,718 where Bacchus Blue Chip (American Ideal-Sunnynseventyfive) entered the record books on the strength of his career-best outing for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke.
Takes Courage (Matt Kakaley), Atreidis (Cory Stratton) and Bacchus Blue Chip all battled for the front through the :27.1 first quarter before 1-9 favourite Bacchus Blue Chip finally took the lead and dominated from there. Bacchus Blue Chip reached the half in :55.3 and three-quarters in 1:23.1, while inching away from the competition around the turn. When Bacchus Blue Chip entered the stretch, he was in full flight and pulled away to a 4-1/2-length lead at the line, winning in 1:50.3. Takes Courage finished second with Atreides back in third.
The winning time set a new track record for two-year-old pacing colts, a new stakes record for two-year-old male pacers and made Bacchus Blue Chip the fastest two-year-old pacing colt ever bred in Massachusetts.
Bacchus Blue Chip, who also won a leg of the Massachusetts Breeders Stakes on Sept. 28 and is now six-for-10 lifetime, is owned by Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, Lawrence Karr of Boca Raton, Florida, Libby And Purnel of Sewickley, Pennsylvania and Frank Baldachino of Harvey Cedars, New Jersey. He paid $2.20 to win.
The first group of pacing males who went for $59,718 was also record-setting as the George Ducharme trainee Sting Me (Perfect Sting-Gallie On Thebeach) broke all three records he set himself in week two of Massachusetts stakes action.
Driven by Mitchell Cushing, 1-2 favourite Sting Me got away third as Top Notch Treasure (Yannick Gingras) and Bastonata Bluechip (Matt Kakaley) traded leads to the quarter in :27 flat. Bastonata Bluechip then reached the half in :56.1 before Sting Me pulled first-over and took the lead before passing three-quarters in 1:24.1. From there, Sting Me swelled up when he entered the stretch on top by four lengths and paced away by 5-1/2 at the line in a career-best 1:52.1. Bastonata Bluechip was second and Top Notch Treasure was third.
The winning time broke the track record for two-year-old pacing geldings, the stakes record for two-year-old male pacers (that was subsequently broken by Bacchus Blue Chip as mentioned above) and lowered Sting Me’s own time as the fastest two-year-old pacing gelding ever bred in Massachusetts.
Sting Me is owned by Nancy Longobardi and Domenic Longobardi of Franklin, Massachusetts. He has won three of his seven starts racing at Plainridge. The bettors' choice paid $3 to win.
The third record-breaking performance came in the first $60,282 non-betting division of pacing fillies won by Lindy Believer (Captaintreacherous-Believe Its Lindy) in rein to Yannick Gingras for trainer Petter Engblom.
The Woman With You (Jimmy Whittemore) took the first lead and reached the quarter in :27.2. But Lindy Believer was pulled immediately from the deuce then gained control in front of the grandstand and never looked back from there. Lindy Believer passed the half in :56 and three-quarters in 1:24 before rounding the last turn. Lindy Believer entered the stretch on top by four lengths and when she straightened for home, cruised to the line 2-3/4 lengths in front in 1:52. The Woman With You followed in second and Silver Sands (Nick Graffam) was third.
The winning time broke the track and stakes record for two-year-old pacing fillies. Lindy Believer is the fastest two-year-old pacing filly ever bred in Massachusetts.
A 1:51.4 winner in the Kentucky Commonwealth Series this summer, she notched her third straight Massachusetts stakes victory, improving to four-for-11 lifetime. Lindy Believer is owned by Engblom Farm of Wrightstown, New Jersey, R A W Equine of Burlington, Ont., Evans Nation of Seaford, New York and Hickory Hollow Stables of Spencerville, Indiana.
The second group of filly pacers also vied for $60,282 and was won by Stayoutofmylane (Stay Hungry-Gold Orchid N), who notched her second Massachusetts stakes win for trainer George Ducharme with Brett Beckwith aboard.
Always B Winning (Mitchell Cushing) led to the quarter in :28.1 before the 3-2 second choice Stayoutofmylane bolted to the front passing the stands and settled on top at the half in :56.3. Stayoutofmylane continued to lead up the backstretch where Chase News Network (Nick Graffam) and Tall Dark Lindy (Michael Oosting) made outside bids before entering the last turn. When the fillies straightened for home, the field was bunching. But Stayoutofmylane was best of all and won by a length in 1:53.4, which was a new lifetime mark. Chase News Network was the runner-up with Tall Dark Lindy third.
Stayoutofmylane, a winner in half of her six starts, is owned by George Ducharme Stable of East Falmouth, Massachusetts, Jim Winske of Marlborough, Massachusetts and Dr. Megan Moschgat of Midway, Kentucky. She paid $7 to win.
There were also two divisions of filly trotters, the first going for $58,592 as a non-betting race and won by Luxe Lindy (Walner-Decadence), who scored her second straight Massachusetts stakes victory with a late rush for driver Tyler Miller.
Nannys Ce Ce (Jeff Gregory) out-left Mas Always Right (Yannick Gingras) and Luxe Lindy (Tyler Miller), who pocketed-up behind the leader before reaching the quarter in :29.1. With no movement from behind, Nannys Ce Ce led comfortably to the half in :58.1 and three-quarters in 1:27.1 before entering the far turn. As the field came off the far bend, Luxe Lindy tipped off the cones and bore down on Nannys Ce Ce, eventually trotting ahead by three-quarters of a length to win in 1:55.3, which was a new lifetime mark. Nancys Ce Ce settled for second with Mas Always Right rounding out the top three in the quartet.
Julie Miller trains Luxe Lindy, a two-time winner in 11 starts, for owners Andy Miller Stable of Cream Ridge, New Jersey, Jean Goehlen of Franconia, New Hampshire, Little E of New York City, New York and Coyote Wynd Farms of Oakville, Ont.
The second split of trotting fillies went for $59,155 and was won by Beyond The Rules (Back Of The Neck-Crystalline), who registered her first career victory for trainer Paul Kelley.
Beyond The Rules and driver Michael Oosting took the lead from Halo Lindy (Tyler Miller) by the quarter in :29.1. Once in front, Beyond The Rules led the single-file field through even fractions of :59 and 1:28 without any challenges from behind. When she turned for home, she was up by three lengths, but Beyond The Rules then blew away the field by 8-1/4 lengths in 1:56.4. Halo Lindy followed back in second with Wicked Wink (Jimmy Whittemore) third.
Beyond The Rules made her fifth career start a winning one for owners Paul Kelley Racing Stable of Lake Worth, Florida, Raymond Campbell Jr. of Belchertown, Massachusetts, Go For Glory Stable of Metuchen, New Jersey and Matthew Lamont of Simpsonville, South Carolina. The winner paid $4.80 as the second-most popular betting choice behind the breaking favourite Easy Peasy.
Finally, there was one division of trotting colts and geldings that raced for $114,085 and Once Upon Lindy (International Moni-Origin Story) won it for his third straight Massachusetts stakes score.
Once Upon Lindy and driver Yannick Gingras rolled to the lead on the outside passing the quarter in :29 flat. Once clear on the pegs, Once Upon Lindy marched smartly through quarters of :57.4 and 1:26.4 while his Domenico Cecere stablemate, Two Fifty (Brett Beckwith), followed closely. At the top of the stretch, Two Fifty tipped and tried to advance, but Once Upon Lindy was too good and won by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:55.2. A 149-1 longshot, Lucky Zette (Steve Smith) finished more than a dozen lengths behind in third.
A homebred for K R Breeding of Enfield, Connecticut, Once Upon Lindy took a new lifetime mark in his seventh start. The favourite paid $2.60 to win.
Racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. with the third leg of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes for three-year-olds. There will be a $13,461 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the sixth race.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts; photo of Bacchus Blue Chip winning on Oct. 19)