Walter Birney Jr.'s Dontmesswithles took advantage of a pocket trip behind a protracted duel and rallied up the open stretch for a 1:52.2 score in the $14,286 Winners Over pacing feature on Monday, Feb. 24 at Rosecroft Raceway.
After using a :26.2 quarter to clear early pacesetter Horse, Dontmesswithles and driver Roger Plante Jr. yielded control to Walden Woods (Justin Walters) with a circuit to go and drafted behind middle fractions of :54.3 and 1:22.3 as Walden Woods faced sustained heat from Doubleornothing N (William Carter). As Walden Woods began to tire under pressure off the turn for home, Plante angled Dontmesswithles to the open stretch, and the six-year-old Captaintreacherous gelding lifted to prevail in the final yards. Horse (Billy Carter) re-emerged between rivals in the final sixteenth to finish second, a neck back. Shim (Russell Foster), who swung three-wide off cover at the top of the stretch, finished third.
Howard Birney trains 13-time winner Dontmesswithles, who paid $5 to win as the 3-2 favourite.
Lyons Stealth takes Medhurst Memorial: Earlier on the card, Cole Olsen's Lyons Stealth ($4.60) ground down Precision Bluechip and drew clear by five lengths for a 1:51.1 win in the sub-featured $12,143 Pete Medhurst Memorial, for top-level conditioned pacers. Johnathan Ahle drove the five-year-old Sweet Lou gelding for trainer Darren Olsen.
The race was named in honour of longtime Rosecroft track announcer Pete Medhurst, who died in January at the age of 55 after a valiant three-month battle with brain cancer. Following the race, many of Medhurst's relatives and friends joined Rosecroft horsepeople and management in the winner's enclosure to celebrate the broadcaster's life and legacy.
Great Scot: Hugh O'Neil led all drivers with four wins on the 12-race card, including a 21-1 upset with Dont Freak Out ($45.40, 1:54.3) in the eighth race. The native of Scotland also piloted Might Be Right ($15.20, 1:53), Big Truss ($16, 1:54.3) and Rickybobbynthehaus ($6.20, 1:53.1) to victory.
Live harness racing returns to Rosecroft on Wednesday, Feb. 26 with a 12-race card headlined by a $10,000 USD distaff Winners Over Pace. First post is 7:15 p.m. (EST). Free past performance pages, race replays and The Players' Guide tip sheet are available at rosecroft.com.
(Rosecroft Raceway)