Plainridge Park played host to the $1.69 million Massachusetts Breeders Stakes finals on Thursday, Oct. 30, with eight $211,268 divisions of the best state-bred trotters and pacers going postward on a rainy afternoon. Despite a track listed as good after the first race, several big miles highlighted the card as the eight champions were crowned.
Kentucky Commonwealth Series champion Tactical Moni extended her winning streak to six and went four-for-four in the Massachusetts Breeders Stakes as she won the final for three-year-old trotting fillies. Tactical Moni ($2.40) got away third early as Corner Store (Brett Beckwith) overtook Global Heritage (Yannick Gingras) for the lead in a brisk :26.3 quarter. Dexter Dunn then immediately moved Tactical Moni to command at three-eighths, and the filly was on top all the way from there. Tactical Moni raced through the half in :54.4 and three-quarters in 1:24.1 while fighting off a challenge by R Lady W (Matt Kakaley), and then saw another push come from Corner Store at the head of the lane. But nothing fazed Tactical Moni, who drove home under wraps for a two-length victory in 1:52.4. Corner Store was second, followed by Global Heritage. Tactical Moni, a daughter of Tactical Landing-All Our Moni, is now 10-for-13 for trainer Domenico Cecere and owner Moni Maker Stable.
Lindy In My Dreams ($3.80) took the final for rookie filly trotters, kicking off a Dunn triple and Cecere double. She led through much of the :28 first quarter until Cash Out Express (Matt Kakaley) moved up on the outside to take the top spot in front of the stands. Cash Out Express got to the half in :57 when Fairytale Moni (Nick Graffam) pulled first-over and approached the leader, but Cash Out Express continued to call the shots while holding Fairytale Moni at bay, and Lindy In My Dreams benefited from the cover past three-quarters in 1:25.4. Positions remained unchanged around the far turn, but when they entered the stretch, Dunn found room at the pegs for Lindy In My Dreams, and the filly shot through and won by a quarter-length over Cash Out Express in 1:54.4. Fairytale Moni finished third. Lindy In My Dreams tallied her fifth win in nine starts. The Ready For Moni-Lindy Of My Dreams filly is a homebred for Lindy Farms of Connecticut.
Geologic ($4.40) strolled to victory in the two-year-old male trot final. Early leader and favourite Mothers Moni (Dunn) made a break rounding the first turn, leaving Geologic (Yannick Gingras) as commander of fractions, and he dominated the race. The Captain Corey-Crystalline gelding rattled off splits of :28.1, :57.2, and 1:26.3, and by the top of the stretch, Geologic was long gone, crossing the line ahead by 19-3/4 lengths in a career-best 1:56.1. Brewster Baker (Kevin Switzer Jr.) won the race for place, beating out Guss Workout (Heath Campbell). Geologic won for the third time in eight tries for trainer Paul Kelley and owners Paul Kelley Racing Stable, Go For Glory Stable LLC, Matthew Lamont, and VIP Internet Stable LLC.
Two Twenty Swift ($5.40) was one of three Huntsville offspring to win a pacing final, taking the rookie filly event. Two Twenty Swift and Perfect Lynn (Gingras) traded leads through a :27.3 quarter before Two Twenty Swift finally took control for Brett Beckwith passing three-eighths. Once on top, Two Twenty Swift reached the half in :56.2 and three-quarters in 1:24.3 as Perfect Lynn and Vainglorious (Dunn) gave chase. At the top of the lane it was all Two Twenty Swift, who left behind her competition and cruised home to prevail by two lengths in 1:54.2. Vainglorious got past Perfect Lynn for second. Two Twenty Swift, out of Jag Out, is now a six-time winner from 11 starts. Deborah Daguet trains the filly for Donald MacRae and Beasty LLC.
Beantown Dragon ($15.40) narrowly captured the two-year-old pacing male final, the first half of a stakes double for trainer George Ducharme and owner Michael Goldberg Racing LLC. He got away fourth as Manador (Gingras) took the lead passing the :27.4 quarter. As the field went by the half in :57.2, an outer flow formed led by Hard To Forget (Matt Kakaley), who was followed by Beantown Dragon. Manador continued to lead to three-quarters in 1:25.2, but Hard To Forget seemed to stall past that point, forcing Beantown Dragon to tip three-deep as they turned for the stretch. Heading down the lane, Manador, Hard To Forget, and Beantown Dragon were pacing within a length of each other, but Beantown Dragon forged ahead in the final steps to win by a nose in a new lifetime mark of 1:55.2. Manador was second over Hard To Forget. Beantown Dragon, a son of Fear The Dragon-Ace Of Pace, made it five wins in 12 career starts. The victory completed Dunn's stakes triple.
Fittingly, it was Beantown Deuce ($3) who doubled up the Ducharme/Goldberg Racing combo in the sophomore pacing filly final. Seafood Cc (Jim Hardy) had the lead at the quarter in :27.1 but saw Beantown Deuce breeze by her from third after that station to take control. Beantown Deuce then paced strongly on the lead to the half in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:25. When she entered the turn, Beantown Deuce started to separate from the rest, going clear by five lengths at the top of the stretch and extending the margin to 9-1/2 lengths at the line in 1:53.4 for her third win in a row. Chasing Dudes (Switzer) was best of the rest, followed by Treacherous Idol (Nick Graffam). Matt Kakaley piloted the winning daughter of Huntsville-Dont Think Twice A, who is now nine-for-28 lifetime.
Rjs Red Devil ($51.60) closed out the stakes action, closing sharply to win the sophomore male pace final. He slotted in fifth for Kakaley as Seafood Star (Hardy), Courageous Warrior (Matty Athearn), and Jon I Love Dat (Gingras) battled mercilessly in a :25.3 first quarter. Jon I Love Dat finally won that war and reached the half on top in :54.3. At that point, Courageous Warrior pulled for his second try for the front and had a fresh Southpaw (Dunn) on his back and Rjs Red Devil third-over drafting behind the action to three-quarters in 1:22.3. Positions remained unchanged around the final turn, but as they entered the stretch, Courageous Warrior took the lead from Jon I Love Dat, and then Southpaw passed Courageous Warrior. But it was Rjs Red Devil who was five-wide in the stretch and chased down Southpaw to win by 1-1/4 lengths at 24-1 and take a new lifetime mark of 1:51.2. Southpaw finished second, followed by Digging For Gold (Nick Graffam). Travis Alexander conditions Rjs Red Devil, a Huntsville-Ruthie J Killean gelding. The sophomore is now three-for-18 for owner/breeder Fiddler's Creek Stables LLC.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Friday at 2 p.m. There will be a $1,533 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in the sixth race.
(With files from the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)