Controlling the race from start to finish, Take Your Pick won the $33,803 Open Handicap Pace for fillies and mares at Plainridge Park to kick off a training triple on the 11-race card for Enrico Robinson on Friday afternoon, Oct. 30.
Take Your Pick and driver Bruce Ranger took the lead from post six into a :26.4 opening quarter and reached the half in :55.2 with stablemate Blood Moon A (Nick Graffam) pocketed-up for the trip. Heading towards the next pole, Sweet Hayley Jane A (Ron Cushing) moved first-over to advance and was met with a :27.1 backside brush from the leader. After rebuffing that challenge past the 1:22.3 three-quarters mark, Take Your Pick opened up a three-length lead at the top of the stretch and won by 3-1/2 in 1:50.4 with Blood Moon A holding on for second over favourite Swedish Starlet N (Matty Athearn).
Both the 3-1 winner and 17-1 runner-up are trained by Robinson for owner Pollack Racing of Venetia, Pennsylvania.
Take Your Pick, a six-year-old daughter of JK Endofanera-Intelligence, earned her sixth win of the season in 18 starts.
Ranger, Robinson and Pollack Racing also teamed up to win with pacing mare Hunting Hula ($3) in 1:51.2 and trotter Seven Sins ($2.80) in 1:54.2.
Racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday, Nov. 2 at a new, earlier post time of 1 p.m. and there will be a $28,643 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the sixth race. The 1 p.m. post time will remain for the rest of the meet, which concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)