Spy Booth took advantage of a close seat behind quick early fractions before lifting to a 7-1 upset in the $17,143 Open Handicap Trot on Wednesday, April 2 at Rosecroft Raceway and capping a grand slam for driver Jonathan Roberts.
Spy Booth pushed forward to secure a three-hole ride behind a :27.1 first-quarter duel between JL Cruze (Russell Foster) and College Tuition (Johnathan Ahle) before contently stalking the joint even-money favourites through middle splits of :56 and 1:24.4. Roberts angled Spy Booth off the pegs a quarter-mile from home and the seven-year-old Muscle Hill-Amour Heiress gelding began to advance immediately, collaring JL Cruze with a sixteenth to go and staving off an inside challenge from runner-up College Tuition by a scant head in 1:53.4. JL Cruze finished third, beaten 2-1/4 lengths.
Jamie Vance trains Spy Booth, winner of two of his last three Open starts at Rosecroft, for owner Joseph Riad of West Grove, Pennsylvania. He returned $17.40 to win.
Roberts also won with Peeler (1:53, $2.80) and Bizet (1:57, $4.80) for his father, trainer William 'Bib' Roberts, and with Half A Virgin (1:55.2, $2.80) for trainer Brian Burton.
In the co-featured $15,000 Winners Over distaff pace, Michael Somerville's homebred Dice Dice Baby turn a pocket trip into a 1:53.2 score over Thats A Huge Beach (Hugh O'Neil) and Fancy Like That (Eric Davis). Roger Plante Jr. drove the seven-year-old Rockincam-Miss Reba mare, who paid $14 to win, for trainer William Cox.
A Pick-5 carryover of $2,946.52 attracted nearly triple that amount in new money and a single winning ticket of 6/5/6/6/7 returned $10,396.25. After the Jackpot Hi-5 had multiple winners, the carryover for that wager has grown to $8,190.75 for the 10th race on Monday, April 7.
Rosecroft Raceway hosts live harness racing every Monday and Wednesday through April with nightly first post at 7:15 p.m.
(With files from Rosecroft Raceway)