After getting scorched in a :25.4 opening panel last week, Opus Blue Chip bounced back nicely with a gate to wire win in the $15,000 Open Handicap pace at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon.
Opus Blue Chip (Bruce Ranger) left sharply once again from post five this week in :26.3 and opened up a three-length advantage. But Ranger was able to wrangle him in for the second split as the short field of five motored past the stands to the half. But the breather was short lived as JK Will Power (Drew Campbell) pulled first-up and pushed the pace in the third quarter with a :27.2 clocking.
JK Will Power and Sailor Jerry (Nick Graffam) continued to peruse and tried to keep up with Opus Blue Chip around the far turn as the rest of the field was out of play, but the leader opened up a 1-1/2 length lead heading into the stretch and looked strong doing it. Ranger kept working on Opus Blue Chip all the way to the wire and he maintained his lead and won by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.4.
It was the seventh win of the year for Opus Blue Chip ($6.20) who is now 22 out of 27 in the money with $83,780 on the card for owner Scott Dillon. Joe Nelson trains the 5-year-old gelded son of American Ideal-Pedoozle.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday with post time at 2 p.m. Also take note that the finals of the $1.8 million Massachusetts Sires Stakes will be held at Plainridge Park on Monday when eight divisions go for $100,000 each.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)