Making his 22nd start of the year, older pacer This Is The Plan is showing no signs of a strenuous campaign. The six-year-old notched his sixth win of the year with a solid performance to capture the single 2021 Breeders Crown elimination for open pacers.
This Is The Plan was settled into fourth as Warrawee Vital (James MacDonald) and Nicholas Beach (Joe Bongiorno) took turns on the lead early. Nicholas Beach cleared after a :27 opener to lead through splits of :55.1 and 1:22.3. Without pressure from the backfield, Cattlewash (David Miller) and This Is The Plan were able to angle off the rail from third and fourth turning for home, and those two Burke pupils took dead aim on the pacesetter. Nicholas Beach couldn't fight them off, with This Is The Plan getting past Cattlewash late by a head for the 1:49.3 victory.
Bob McClure angled Enavant through traffic to close well and rally for third over warrawee vital.
Making his fifth Breeders Crown appearance, This Is the Plan (Somebeachsomewhere - Thats the Plan) is trained by Ron Burke for his Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, Pa., Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pa., Jandt Silva Purnel & Libby of Ocean Ridge, Fl. and Larry Karr of Randolph, N.J.
"[Cattlewash] a nice horse too but This Is The Plan is still sharp," said driver Gingras post-race. "People think he's maybe on the backslide, but Allywag [Hanover] is just so sharp. Today, no Allywag in there and we took advantage of it.
"The credit goes to the Burke Brigade, they do a great job at keeping horses [sharp], not only for a year like this but they come back year after year after year and all the credit goes to them."
Here's the field in post order for the 2021 Breeders Crown Open Pace.
1. Warrawee Vital
2. Workin Ona Mystery
3. Enavant
4. This Is The Plan
5. Cattlewash
6. Nicholas Beach
7. Ocean Rock
8. Allywag Hanover
9. Catch The Fire
10. Ruthless Hanover
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