Ontario Sires Stakes graduate Mass Cara is making a name for herself stateside, winning for the first time since shifting her tack to the U.S. east coast earlier this month.
In a $23,611 conditioned trot on Thursday, Oct. 31 at Plainridge Park, Mass Cara sat a distant third for driver Brett Beckwith while Wicked Fun (Todd O'Dea) was a runaway leader by four lengths to the half in :56.2. Wicked Fun continued to dominate in the third quarter as Sweet Valley (Jay Randall) and Mass Cara were closing in. After coming out of the final turn, Mass Cara shook loose in the middle of the track and battled Wicked Fun to the line, eventually winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.4.
It was the first Plainridge win for Mass Cara ($12.40), who is owned by Percy Elkins and Frank Brundle of Ontario, and trained by Andy Gardner.
Sforza started out his year by reeling off four straight wins at Plainridge Park before shipping to the Bluegrass State for the summer. But after five unsuccessful trips to post in the Kentucky Commonwealth Series at The Red Mile, Sforza returned to his home track and has since reeled off three more wins in a row, the latest in the featured $20,500 trot at The Ridge on Thursday afternoon.
Bruce Ranger cut the quarter with Sforza in :27 before Snowpiercer (Brett Beckwith) blitzed from third to gain control before the half. Snowpiercer trotted smartly up the backside with Sforza in tow, and passed three-quarters in 1:24.2. Positions remained unchanged around the last turn but at the top of the stretch, Sforza pulled and rolled right by Snowpiercer as they made their way down the lane and cruised home to an easy 3-1/4 length win in a lifetime best 1:53.3.
It was the seventh win of the year, all at Plainridge Park, for Sforza ($3.20), who is owned by Greathorse and trained by Domenico Cecere. It was one of three wins on Thursday for Ranger and the first of two on the card for Cecere.
Also in a $20,833 conditioned trot, Heartofgold Devie (Mitchell Cushing) was parked to the quarter by Facebook Official (Bruce Ranger) before taking the lead by the half and eventually stretching out to an uncontested 4-3/4-length win in 1:53.4, which was a new lifetime mark.
Heartofgold Devie ($3.60) is owned by Mona Dodd and trained by Mike Cushing. Heartofgold Devie was the third win of driver Mitchell Cushing’s natural hat trick on Thursday, that included a score with the 13-year-old Winding Hill (1:55.2, $7.60), who notched the 50th win of his illustrious career. Winding Hill is owned by Diane Whittemore and trained by Dennis Whittemore.
There was a huge payout in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in the sixth race. The single unique combination of 2-5-4-8-3 returned $18,255.20 for a 20-cent wager.
Live harness racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday, Nov. 1 with a new, earlier post time of 1 p.m., which will remain the standard for the remainder of the meet.
(with files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)