Legged-up from his 1-1/4 mile race outing last week, former Alberta champion Virtual Horizon had a lot of pace late on Thursday (Oct. 3) afternoon and captured the featured $30,405 conditioned pace with a career best mile at Plainridge Park.
Virtual Horizon (Bruce Ranger) got away fifth as Alta Classic A (Ron Cushing) played hardball with E R Griffin (Kevin Switzer Jr.) off the gate, parking the gelding to the quarter in :25.4. E R Griffin finally crossed over and then led the single-file field to the half in :54.4. It was there that General Montana N (Mitchell Cushing) pulled first-over from third and brought along Always A Miki (Matty Athearn) and Virtual Horizon with him.
E R Griffin and General Montana N paced stride for stride up the backside and around the last turn, where Always A Miki drew even with them both in the three path. But it was Virtual Horizon who swung four-wide around them all at the top of the lane and paced home clear by a length to win in 1:51, which was a new lifetime mark.
The victory was the third win of the year for Virtual Horizon ($14.40) who is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stable and trained by Jackie Greene.
Another Kellogg owned Greene trainee, Im No Outlaw N, won the $23,649 upper-level conditioned pace after taking the lead before the half and then holding off three horses at the wire to win under the guidance of Brett Beckwith in 1:51.2, tying his seasonal mark. Greene also co-owns Im No Outlaw N ($3.40) with Kellogg.
The venerable pacing machine Quick Shot (Ron Cushing), who has been a stout competitor for many years at Plainridge Park, won his 57th lifetime race on Thursday after he scored a 1:52.4 victory that pushed his career bankroll over the $820,000 mark. Quick Shot now boasts $820,607 in lifetime earnings for his owner/trainer Kathleen Brewer.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday (Oct. 4) at 2 p.m. and there will be a $3,805 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in race six.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)