Osprey Impact has been a win machine since coming to the Commonwealth from Prince Edward Island in September and that trend continued as he won the $14,000 Open Trot at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon.
Osprey Impact (Mike Stevenson) left sharply for the lead along with Ostrich Blue Chip (Greg Merton) who floated-out indecisively third until past the half when he got in gear and bolted for the front. The trailing horses remained unchanged as the leader then ponied the pack to the half in :56.1 and three-quarters in 1:25.1.
At that station, 45-1 shot Namesmuscle (Mark Athearn) popped out from third and started to advance to the front. When they hit the top of the lane Merton glanced over his right shoulder at the encroaching Namesmuscle and in doing so, allowed Ostrich Blue Chip to come off the rail clearing the way for Osprey Impact to trot on from there. With a horse now both inside and out of him, Ostrich Blue Chip made a break that cost him the race and Osprey Impact cruised home under wraps in 1:54.4.
It was the fifth win in six Plainridge Park starts and tenth victory of the year for Osprey Impact ($9.40) who now has $32,204 on the card for owner Paul Larrabbee. Robert Marston trains the winner.
In the co-featured $12,000 trotting event, Tag Up And Go (Bruce Aldrich, Jr.) was motoring along on the front end for three-quarters of a mile before getting rough gaited around the last turn, allowing Wind And A Prayer (Nick Graffam) to take the lead at the head of the stretch. But after Aldrich gathered him back together, Tag Up And Go regained his composure and trotted home cleanly to a length victory in 1:54.3.
The ninth win of the year for Tag Up And Go ($13.20) pushed him over the century mark in earnings for the year with a total of $103,160 now in the bank. Lester Gelardi, Jr. and Frank Passafaro own the seven-year-old son of Angus Hall that is trained by Monique Cohen.
Bruce Aldrich, Jr. had four winners on the card while Mike Stevenson posted a hat trick of his own. Monique Cohen had three training wins and Robert Marston had two.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday with post time set at 1 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)