Plainridge Park welcomes the Grand Circuit back to Massachusetts on Thursday (April 28) as it hosts the first edition of the $100,000 Paul Revere Pace.
The stakes race is for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings and is the first event to be held in 2022 for that division. Nine horses have drawn in and they will go postward in this early season clash, and with only five combined outings this year between the starters, this race should be an interesting contest that should also provide some value for the bettors.
Fourever Boy (Sweet Lou-Macharoundtheclock) comes in as the top money-winner of the group ($231,694) after seeing his fair share of Grand Circuit races last year. He got his first and only freshman stakes win in the $21,035 Arden Downs at The Meadows in a lifetime best 1:53.2 last July, but then went on to finish third in the $254,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes final, third in the $824,000 Metro Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park, second in the $146,700 Matron at Dover Downs and fourth in the $386,600 Governor’s Cup at the Meadowlands where he was race timed in 1:50.2 in his last start of the year. Fourever Boy comes into this race off two winning qualifier events at the Meadows and looks to pick up where he left off last year.
Fourever Boy, who is eligible to the $1 million North America Cup on June 18 and $700,000 Meadowlands Pace on July 16, drew post eight and trainer Tim Twaddle has regular driver Mike Wilder on board for his first visit to Plainridge.
Heinikin Bythebay (Southwind Lynx-Sally Pansen) is a horse that knows how to win and comes into this race on a five-race streak stretching back to last year where all his stakes action took place in the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund. He won seven races out of 10 starts including a victory in the $100,000 final at Dover. This year, he picked up where he left off in 2021 with back-to-back wins in DSBF late closers in identical 1:52.2 clockings with open-length victories. He’s the second leading money-winner in the field to date with $140,775 on the card and will look to add to that total here.
Heinikin Bythebay has drawn post nine for trainer Kevin Switzer, who has assigned Kevin Switzer Jr. to drive.
Pickup Man Hanover (Huntsville-Pilgrims Witchie) raced successfully in the New York Sire Stakes last year with three wins and two seconds in divisions before finishing third in the $200,000 final at Yonkers. He was also very competitive twice at the Meadowlands where he was second in the $30,650 Thompkins-Geers and third in the $87,200 Reynolds where he was race timed in 1:52.1. His $110,959 in lifetime earnings were collected over eight starts last year and he comes into this race off of three qualifying races. Pickup Man Hanover is also Meadowlands Pace eligible.
Trainer Monica Krist has regular driver Billy Dobson aboard Pickup Man Hanover for this stakes and they will start from post three.
There will be two starters from the barn of trainer Nancy Takter and where both vary in experience, neither lack for talent.
Groovy Man (Huntsville-Lets Groove Tonite) is a lightly raced prospect that has shown a lot of ability and speed. After winning his first lifetime start last August at Lexington in 1:52.3, last quarter in :26.3, Groovy Man raced only one more time before being shut down for the season. He has since made two qualifying starts at the Meadowlands in 2022, the second of which was the fastest of the day’s 12 events and it gave him a new lifetime mark of 1:51.1 including a last quarter of :26.2. He makes his seasonal debut here and should be a major factor in this race starting from post six with Yannick Gingras in the bike.
Takter also has Caviart Scout (Always A Miki-Caviart Sarah) entered and he is not to be overlooked. After winning the $50,000 PASS consolation at the Meadows in a lifetime best 1:52.3 and the $47,600 Simpson at Harrah’s Philladelphia last year at two, he showed his best work was over five-eighths mile tracks. However, he was also race timed in defeat twice in 1:51.4 at Lexington and the Meadowlands, and in his last start of the year in the $386,600 Governors Cup at Meadowlands, paced in 1:51.1 after being parked out the entire mile. He comes in off two qualifiers as well and looks to move forward off those, starting from post four with Josert Fonseca the appointed reinsman for the race.
The Paul Revere Pace is the first of four Grand Circuit races that will be held at Plainridge Park this year. The other new event added for 2022 is the $100,000 Battle of Bunker Hill Trot for three-year-old trotters that will go behind the gate on Monday (May 16). Then on Sunday (July 24), the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot and $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace will return and highlight the biggest day of harness racing in Massachusetts.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)