Three $17,500 conditioned trots headlined the card at Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon (Oct. 20) and the most shocking result came in the last one of the day. Massive Lighting came off an impressive victory in his last outing and was totally overlooked as the longest shot in the race at 40-1, yet he rallied late to take a second straight victory.
Star Track Hanover (Kevin Switzer Jr.) and Raybarnz (Ivan Davies) traded leads before the half with the latter having control at that station. Massive Lightning (Nick Graffam) was sixth but out and moving in an outer flow led by Kyrie Deo (Jay Randall). These positions remained unchanged until the top of the stretch where Graffam tipped Massive Lightning off cover and then eagerly trotted past the competition to the wire where he won by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:56.
Owned by Robert Kopack and trained by Mike Graffam, Massive Lightning claimed his 30th career win and returned $82.80 for a $2 win ticket. It was one of two wins for Nick Graffam on Friday.
One of the other two trots was won by another Mike Graffam trainee, The World Owes Me (Brett Beckwith), who tripped out behind Downhome Punch (Mitchell Cushing) until the stretch where he cleared and bolted home ahead of a late-closing Cruising Tom (Matty Athearn) by a length in 1:55.3, which was a new lifetime mark. The World Owes Me ($11.20) is owned by Robert Holden and his trainer Graffam.
And the final of the three trots went to Moni Lisa (Bruce Ranger), who was a loose leader for most of the mile through quarters of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:25.4. At the top of the stretch, Moni Lisa had a three-length lead and she finished out the mile under minimal urging en route to a 1:55.4 win. Moni Lisa ($2.80) is owned by the Moni Maker Stable and trained by Domenico Cecere.
Ranger and Cecere both had two wins on Friday. Driver Matty Athearn had a hat trick in the bike while Gretchen Athearn tied Graffam and Cecere as top trainer with two wins herself.
The huge $48,045 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta no longer exists as that bet was hit in the sixth race on Friday. The single unique winning combination of 4-7-1-8-5 returned $51,893.52 for a 20-cent wager.
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday, Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. and there will be a $640 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race six.
The $1.2 million finals of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 24 when eight divisions worth $150,000 each will go postward. Horsepeople are reminded there will be a detention barn for the finals and all horses must be checked into the stable area at Plainridge Park no later than 8 p.m. on Monday.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)