Driver Lindsay Moen and trainer Greg Cook teamed up to win a pair of Opens featured on Saturday night (Nov. 25) with Linnycalledfrankie and Catch Me Conrad as Northville Downs ended its 2023 race meet with a large crowd on hand.
Following a blistering pace in the $9,500 Open 1 Pace to a quarter in :26.3 set by duelling leaders Coalford Bythesea and Ticks A Yankin, Linnycalledfrankie (pictured above) went to the outside from fourth up the backstretch to blow by and take over in the stretch, winning in 1:55.1 by a quarter-length over runner-up Freds Nightmare and third-place finisher Admiral Adam.
A race earlier in the $8,500 Open 2 Pace, Catch Me Conrad, who also got away fourth behind duelling leaders, moved outside second-over going to the half and then rolled by the competition to take the victory in 1:55.4 by an identical quarter-length victory over runner-up Magic Shark and Normandy Beach, who was third.
Both geldings are owned by Greg Cook. Linnycalledfrankie (Captaintreacherous-Saymynamesaymyname) nailed his 17th career win and Catch Me Conrad (Tellitlikeitis-Envy) earned his 53rd career win.
In addition to the night’s races, Northville honoured the 14-year-old pacers and trotters who have raced at the Michigan oval in the past few years as the night marked their final time they could race at Northville in 2023 and they are forced into mandatory retirement at the end of the year. Video of the ceremony is available on the Northville Downs Facebook page.
Moen and Justin Irvine had driving hat tricks on the night while Don Harmon had a driving double. Cook and Gerald Malady had training doubles on the program.
The 2023 driving title went to Kody Massey with 102 wins at the meet and Gerald Malady just nosed out Paul Cloer Jr. for the 2023 training title with 43 wins to Cloer’s 42.
The entire Northville crew would like to thank all of its patrons, horses and horsemen & women for a great 2023 season.
(With files from Northville Downs)