The Monday night card at Northfield Park featured no less than four Open events.
Western Churchill was an upset winner in the evenings $10,000 Open Pace for owner New York Thunder Stable of Washington, Pennsylvania. Northfield Park’s leading trainer, Calvin Hollar is his conditioner and listed Greg Grismore to drive.
Western Churchill (Western Ideal-The Mattican-Matts Scooter) started from the rail and sat the pocket through fractions of :28, :57.2 and 1:25.3. Grismore pulled Western Churchill at the head of the stretch and was ¾-length in front at the finish in 1:54.2. Completing the race were Shark Dressed Man, Man He Can Skoot, Forever Good, Nathan Feelsgood, Curator, Lucky Jet and Stevie Diamonds.
Western Churchill now has 15 career successes. Monday’s victory pushed his bankroll to $208,478. He paid $28.40 to win.
Hello Carlo and Kahoku dead heated in the $10,000 Open Trot in Northfield Park’s sixth race. Both trotters came from the back as the fractions were perfect for closers. The first half was :58 and the back half was trotted in 1:00. Finishing behind the pair of winners were Sure Thing, Julians Caesar, Saintfrancis, Pembroke Snapshot, Mythical Hall and Talladega Hanover.
Hello Carlo is owned by Mario Caponi of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and trained by Larry Clabaugh. Josh Sutton was aboard for the winning drive. Monday’s triumph increased Hello Carlo’s (Carry The Message-Last Turn-Supergill) lifetime win tally to 54 with $264,868 earned.
Margaret Mancini of Colts Neck, New Jersey owns Kahoku (SJs Caviar-Tags Goal-Tagliabue). Crist Hershberger trains and drove the 11-time winner. Kahoku has bankrolled $75,513.
Neither trotter was the race favourite; Hello Carlo paid $5.80 to win and Kahoku returned $21.00.
A pair of $7,500 Open 2 events were also carded, with Easy Strength (Wyatt Irvine) winning the Trot in 1:57.2 and Forever Just (Aaron Merriman) capturing the Pace in 1:54.4.
In the evening’s ninth race, Rose Run Logan trotted home for his fourth straight win over Northfield’s Flying Turns. The seven-year-old gelding is owned and trained by Jeff Hochstetler of Urichsville, Ohio. Aaron Merriman was the winning driver.
Rose Run Logan started from post six and led at every call through fractions of :29.1, :58.1, 1:27.1 and 1:56.2. He was well in hand the entire mile and bested his closest competitor (Al Brown, Don McKirgan) by four lengths.
Monday’s triumph was the 10th career success for Rose Run Logan (Armbro Laser-How Miraculous-Baltic Speed) and increased his lifetime earnings to $24,598. He was heavily favoured and returned $2.40 to win.
(with files from Northfield)