Sundown Kid and driver Jay Randall watched all the action early and made their move late to win the $34,722 starter allowance featured pace at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 29.
Woodys Cash Crop (Nick Graffam) strung out Anvil Hands (Jimmy Hardy) and Always A Miki (Matty Athearn) three-deep to the :27.2 quarter and then kept them parked-out to the half two abreast in :56.1. At this point, Sundown Kid was seventh. The field continued into the backstretch in two rows when Major Betts (Drew Monti) swung three-deep passing three-quarters in 1:23.4. Woodys Cash Crop kept the field bunched around the last turn where Sundown Kid went four-wide from the clouds with a full head of steam as they turned for home. With the field in two rows of four and within a length of each other, Sundown Kid got the final kick and scored by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.1. Always A Miki finished second and Anvil Hands was third.
The win was the fifth of the year from 27 starts for Sundown Kid ($26.20), a seven-year-old Sunshine Beach-Well Pondered gelding owned and trained by Randy Bickmore.
In the secondary featured $24,306 upper-level conditioned pace, Renaissance Deo (Ron Cushing) sat second behind Henceforth (Brett Beckwith) through quarters of :26.2, :55.2 and 1:23 before finding room at the pegs as the field moved down the lane and won by a neck in 1:52. Renaissance Deo ($6.80) is owned by Joshua Jay Graber and trained by Shane Tritton.
Horsemen scoring two wins on Tuesday included drivers Matty Athearn, Mitchell Cushing, Jay Randall and Bruce Ranger, and trainer Randy Bickmore.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. and there will be a $15,894 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in race six.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)