A pair of Starter Allowance races at Plainridge Park on Monday (Nov. 2) yielded career efforts by their respective winners, who both scored from off the pace.
In the $34,722 division, Anvil Hands pounded out the mile of his life with an impressive score.
Anvil Hands (Jimmy Hardy) sat third as Warrawee Yale (Kevin Switzer Jr.) led the field to the half in a snappy :54.4. That’s where Anvil Hands tipped and rolled towards the top, with Courageous Warrior (Matty Athearn) right on his back. Anvil Hands paced past Warrawee Yale at three-quarters before crossing over to the pegs at the top of the turn. Courageous Warrior then moved alongside Anvil Hands, was closing ground and got to within one-half length. But that’s as close as he’d get as Anvil Hands was on a mission and motored home under mild urging to win by 1-1/2 lengths in a lifetime best, 1:50.3. Courageous Warrior was second, with Negotiator (Mitchell Cushing) finishing third.
It was the fourth win of the year for Anvil Hands ($17.80), who is owned by David Thibault, Christine Thibault, his driver Jimmy Hardy and his trainer, Jolene Andrews all of North Attleboro, MA. The seven-year-old Always B Miki-Cams Macharena gelding is a 27-time career winner.
Then in the $27,778 split, Colt Bennett collected his second consecutive win with a powerful showing.
Colt Bennett (Mitchell Cushing) watched from fifth as Hollywood Skeeter (Michael Oosting) and Captain Tell (Brett Beckwith) played hardball to the quarter in :26.1 and the half in 53.3. As they straightened for the backstretch, Hollywood Skeeter was still parking Captain Tell when Hespoisedtopounce A (Matty Athearn) joined the fray, tipping three-deep around those two on his way to second at three-quarters in 1:22. But then Colt Bennett tipped three-wide around him in the last turn and kicked away to a two length lead at the top of the stretch. From there, Colt Bennett got home under his own terms and won in 1:51.1, which was also a new lifetime mark. ER Griffin (James Hardy) was second, with Quentin Quarantino (Kevin Switzer Jr.) finishing third.
It was the fifth win of the year for Colt Bennett ($6.40), who is owned and trained by Nancy Longobardi of Norfolk, MA.
Matty Athearn led all drivers with three wins on Monday, while 11 different trainers each won one race apiece.
Racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Nov. 3) at 1 p.m. and there will be a $30,273 USD carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the sixth race.
(With files from The Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts; Photo of Anvil Hands winning on Nov. 2)