After back-to-back stakes-record wins, Geologic knocked three-fifths of a second off his mark and broke a divisional Plainridge Park track record with a 1:51.3 score in the Massachusetts Breeders Stakes on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
In the $110,915 division for sophomore trotting males, Mothers Moni (Bruce Ranger) cut the mile while Geologic (Yannick Gingras) sat second, and the rest of the field was well off the pace as they trotted through speedy splits of :26.3, :55.1 and 1:23. Mothers Moni and Geologic were 10-1/2 lengths ahead of the field when they entered the far turn, and when they straightened for the wire, Geologic tipped off his cover and bolted past Mothers Moni to the line, winning by six lengths. Kingmaker (Brett Beckwith) was third.
The time was a new track record for three-year-old trotting geldings and a new stakes record for a sophomore male trotter.
The win was the fourth in a row and seventh in the last nine starts for Geologic, who is owned by Paul Kelley Racing Stable, Go For Glory Stable LLC, Matthew Lamont and VIP Internet Stable LLC. The Captain Corey-Crystalline gelding, trained by Paul Kelley, is now 10-for-21 lifetime. The race was held as a non-betting event prior to the main card.
The first division of three-year-old filly pacers, also held as a non-betting event, competed for $59,155 in purse, and Vainglorious went coast to coast to score her second stakes victory.
Vainglorious (Brett Beckwith) left from post three and, with Seafood Treasure (Bruce Ranger) following closely, cut fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:24.3. After the group paced out of the far turn, Seafood Treasure and Sunshine Ideal (Yannick Gingras) were closing in on Vainglorious. A two-length lead at the head of the lane was pared down to three-quarters of a length at the wire, but Vainglorious held off the fast-closing Seafood Treasure to win in 1:53. Sunshine Ideal finished third.
Vainglorious is trained by Tahnee Camilleri, who bred the daughter of Bettors Delight-Bronskimackenzie A and co-owns her with David Kryway. The winning filly is now six-for-23 lifetime.
The second group of three-year-old girls also went for $59,155, and Two Twenty Swift is now a perfect three for three in Massachusetts stakes action this year.
Two Twenty Swift (Yannick Gingras) settled in third off the gate as Perfect Lynn (Brett Beckwith) and Sweet Cindy Lou (Corey Callahan) traded leads to the quarter in :26.4 before Sweet Cindy Lou took control in front of the stands. The top three stayed in order to the half in :55.3 and three-quarters in 1:23.4, where Two Twenty Swift tipped going into the last turn. Two Twenty Swift moved quickly to the front, made the lead as they entered the stretch and pulled away by 2-1/2 lengths in a lifetime-best clocking of 1:51.2. Sweet Cindy Lou finished second, with Perfect Lynn well back in third.
Two Twenty Swift ($2.10), a daughter of Huntsville-Jag Out, is owned by Donald MacRae and Beasty LLC and is trained by Deborah Daguet. She has won 10 times in 26 career outings.
The sophomore trotting fillies were up next competing for $113,028, and Cash Out Express will head into the finals a perfect three-for-three in Massachusetts Breeders Stakes prelims.
Cash Out Express (Yannick Gingras) took the better part of the :28 first quarter to get to the front. With Adios My Lindy (Brett Beckwith) following close in second, Cash Out Express reached the half in :56.2 and three-quarters in 1:24.3. Adios My Lindy found room at the pegs and made a bold bid heading for the wire, but Cash Out Express stayed on task and hung on by a half-length to win in a career-best-tying 1:53.2. Lindy In My Dreams (Mike Oosting) completed the top three.
Cash Out Express ($3) is owned by George Ducharme Stable LLC, James DeArmond, Jim Winske and Sal Vullo. George Ducharme trains the daughter of International Moni-Maliziosa Lindy, now a nine-time winner from 27 outings.
Gingras completed a stakes grand slam as Hard To Forget moved to three-for-three in Massachusetts Breeders Stakes legs with a dominant victory in the $114,085 event for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Altair Blue Chip (Jimmy Whittemore) reached the quarter first in :26.2, but Hard To Forget (Yannick Gingras) was marching on the outside and grabbed the front passing the stands. Hard To Forget then sped to the half in :54.3 and started to pull away heading to three-quarters in 1:22.4. Hard To Forget was up by five lengths around the far turn and was wrapped up down the lane, crossing the line a 4-1/2-length winner in 1:52. Mr Mctygue (Matt Athearn) was second, followed by Beantown Dragon (Brett Beckwith).
Hard To Forget ($2.10) is owned and was bred by Fiddler's Creek Stables LLC and trained by Travis Alexander. The American Ideal-Nota Fool Bluechip colt is now five-for-23 lifetime.
When Leave It To Luther won the fourth race on the betting card, the victory vaulted longtime New England horseman Randy Bickmore to the 2,000th training win of his career. The six-year-old Betterthancheddar-T R Lexus Cam gelding was 4-1/4 lengths the best in 1:53.1 with Nick Graffam aboard. He paid $4.20 to win.
Bickmore, who was born in Bangor, Maine and now resides in Scarborough, started out in the business as a driver at age 18, when he was first licensed in 1984. Bickmore drove regularly for seven years before getting his training license until 1991, and then he actively did both for about six years until cutting back his sulky duties in 1997. After driving full-time again in 2001 and 2002, he has concentrated primarily on training from 2003 to today. Bickmore did drive in two amateur races this year after an eight-year hiatus from the lines, finishing second with Leave It To Luther in both.
Bickmore now has 2,000 training wins, 1,782 seconds and 1,557 thirds from 11,635 starts, with earnings of $7,726,567 USD and a .302 lifetime UTR. He recorded his career high in wins (165) in 2009.
This year at Plainridge, Bickmore is ninth in the standings for wins with 22, and his 21 seconds and 22 thirds have contributed to his earnings total of $268,010 USD for the meet. Bickmore was named Trainer of the Month in August at Plainridge after posting six wins, three seconds and five thirds from 28 starts, earning him a .333 UTR. Bickmore also races regularly at tracks across Maine.
Aside from his training accomplishments, Bickmore’s career driving numbers are not to be overlooked. He has 527 wins, 586 seconds and 610 thirds from 4,427 starts, giving him a lifetime UDR of .238 and $703,887 in earnings.
Racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Thursday at 2 p.m. There will be a $15,351 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the sixth race.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)