It was round two for the three-year-olds of both gaits and sexes in the Massachusetts Sire Stakes (MASS) at Plainridge Park on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 4), and Wyatt J shone brightest for the second week in a row in the $28,000 division for pacing colts and geldings.
Teamed with driver Jason Bartlett for the first time, the heavily-bet Wyatt J (American Ideal-Think Pink) left sharply and cut the quarter in :26.1 and from there called the shots for the rest of the mile. With little pressure to deal with, Wyatt J hit the half in :56, the three-quarters in 1:24.1 and then started to open up around the last turn. With the race well in hand, Bartlett line drove Wyatt J to the wire in 1:51.3 on top by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
The time broke the MASS stake record for three-year-old pacing geldings and was a new lifetime mark for the winner; both marks were set by Wyatt J just last week.
It was also the sixth win in a row for Wyatt J ($2.10) who is owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano. Lindy Farms of Connecticut bred the winner.
The filly pacers went for $28,500 and Rys Red Rocket (Sunshine Beach-Mo Molly Blue Chip) bounced back from a narrow defeat last week.
Opening a two-length lead by the quarter, Rys Red Rocket paced alone until the five-eighth’s when I Am Wonder Woman and Shes A Fireball rolled up the rim and Sara Tancredi who was tripping out, started some pressure that would continue to the wire. The two outside horses fanned wide of the leader at the top of the lane while Sara Tancredi advanced along the pylons. With four horses across the track within a length of each other, Rys Red Rocket continued to dig in and eventually hung on to a neck advantage in 1:54.2.
It was the fifth win of the year for Rys Red Rocket ($4.60) who is owned and bred by Linwood Higgins and is trained by Gretchen Athearn. Matty Athearn drove the winner.
The two trot divisions were won by owner-trainer George Ducharme and co-owner Ray Campbell Jr.
The colts and geldings went for $28,500 and Double Dealing (RC Royalty-Heather Spur) got his second-consecutive stake win.
Dazzling Lindy led the race to the half before Double Dealing pulled the pocket past the half and took control before the five-eighths. From there Double Dealing opened up a gapped lead and pulled away to a two-length margin of victory in 1:56.4.
Double Dealing ($2.60) registered his sixth win of 2020. Shawn Gray drove the winner.
The $27,500 filly trot was a non-betting event and was a runaway win for Without A Warning (RC Royalty-Concentration) who was not challenged at all.
Without A Warning (Jason Bartlett) went right to the front and after posting quarters of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:27, hit the top of the stretch up by three lengths and jogged to the wire in front by two-and-a-half lengths in 1:55.
Without A Warning scored her fourth win of the year and now has $166,912 in earnings this year.
The MASS two-year-olds will contest their second session at Plainridge Park on Monday (Oct. 5) with post time at 2 p.m. (EDT).
(Plainridge Park)