Three $15,000 conditioned paces were carded as co-features at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon (Oct. 23) and Paternity Suit A went the fastest of the three in the last race of the day.
Paternity Suit A (Matty Athearn) got away fourth as JK Will Power (Jay Randall) and G W T (Troy Beyer) traded leads to the half. With G W T finally settled on the point, Athearn tipped Paternity Suit A first-over in turn two and quickly drew alongside G W T. The two pacers then matched strides up the backstretch, around the final bend and into the stretch where Paternity Suit A bolted home ahead by three lengths in 1:52.2.
The victory was the 40th lifetime win for Paternity Suit A ($2.20), who is owned by Tim Bojarski and Tony Gruppo and trained by Jimmy Nickerson.
Another come-from-behind winner was Come On Raags (Mitchell Cushing), who started out seventh while Whata Foolbelieves (Nick Graffam) stepped sharply on the lead. Zippidy Zoom (Drew Campbell) started an outer flow that saw Come On Raags third-over in the breeze. With horses parked out three-deep at three-quarters, Whata Foolbelieves continued to call the shots as they made their way into the stretch. But it was there Cushing found room for Come On Raags and he responded with a burst to the front and a 1-1/2-length win in 1:54.4.
Come On Raags ($6.80) is owned and trained by Zachery Vickerson.
Cushing ended the day with two driving wins.
The third of three co-features was won by Redbreast Hanover (Wally Watson), who got away fourth, but pulled early to engage the leading Twin B Jays (Kevin Switzer Jr.) past the half. Redbreast Hanover took the lead up the backstretch and opened up a three-length bulge by the top of the stretch. From there, he paced home easily and won by the same margin in 1:55.
Redbreast Hanover ($10.80) is owned by Mark Jacoff and trained by Lisa Watson.
Watson and Watson also engineered a win with Cigars And Port (1:51.1, $2.80).
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. and there will be a $1,342 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race six.
The $1.2 million finals of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes will also be held on Tuesday, Oct. 24 with eight divisions worth $150,000 each going 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, Oct. 23. A complimentary lunch for everyone racing on Tuesday will be served in the paddock courtesy of the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)