After winning wire-to-wire at Plainridge Park last week, Ask Queenie changed her strategy but produced the same result — a win in the featured $15,000 fillies and mares Winners-Over pace on Tuesday afternoon (May 1).
Ask Queenie (Shawn Gray) tucked fifth while Western Stepp (Drew Campbell) and Caviart Caterina (Mike Stevenson) played leap-frog off the gate, where each horse took a turn at the top by the quarter in :26.2. When they passed that station, Caviart Caterina was the leader. But with no rest for the weary, Keene Olivia (Greg Merton) came first-up past the three-eighths and was neck and neck with the frontrunner heading up the backside.
By the three-quarters, Keene Olivia had packed it in and Ask Queenie tipped three-deep around Happy Heart (Chris Long), who had been tracking the fader from second-over. At the top of the stretch, the three horses were strung even across the track — Caviart Caterina, Happy Heart and Ask Queenie from the inside out. But when Gray lifted the lines and leaned back in the bike, Ask Queenie responded gamely and paced away from the competition, winning by two lengths in 1:52.4.
It was the second straight win for Ask Queenie ($7.80) at Plainridge and her fifth overall in 2018. The six-year-old daughter of Western Terror has now earned $33,037 this year for owners Edward Hall and James Hall Jr. Craig Mosher conditions the winner.
Ask Queenie was the top horse of the Hi-5 pentafecta combination of 7-9-1-2-4 that returned $5,584.88.
Shawn Gray registered three wins on the card, leading all drivers for the day.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday (May 3) with post time at 4:00 p.m. Please note that Friday racing begins this week as Plainridge moves to a four-day-a-week live schedule (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday).
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)