After having a career year in 2022, La Bella Vita N has returned to action in fine form in 2023 and claimed her second consecutive win in only three starts this year on Monday afternoon at Plainridge Park in the $25,000 Fillies and Mares Winners-Over pacing feature, and took a personal season's best mark in the process.
Driver Shawn Gray pushed La Bella Vita N off the gate and to the front by the quarter in :27. After cruising to the half unfettered, the heavy favourite Probert (Bruce Ranger) pulled first-over from fifth at the five-eighths and motored alongside the leader as the passed the three-quarter mark. La Bella Vita N and Probert matched strides around the last turn and into the stretch where Alittlesidehustl B (Jay Randall) found room and joined the fray in deep stretch. All three mares were all out with effort but La Bella Vita N never gave up the front and won by a half length in 1:53.1.
La Bella Vita N ($10) is owned by Douglas Overhiser and Michael Goldberg Racing, and is trained by Alicia Gray.
Shawn Gray finished with a driving hat trick on Tuesday.
There were two $20,000 secondary features during the day, one on the trot and one on the pace, and Bruce Ranger steered the winner of both to victory.
First, the trot went to Echo De Meautis FR, who went right to the front and set fractions of :26.3, :56.1 and 1:24.3. Make It A Double (Kevin Switzer Jr.) was pressuring second on the outside from the five-eighths to the top of the stretch but it made no difference to the leader as Echo De Meautis FR pulled away to a 2-1/2-length lead going home and tripped the timer in a lifetime best 1:54.1.
Echo De Meautis FR ($12.60) is owned by Archie McNeil and Jay Graver, and is trained by Melissa Beckwith.
Then in the pace that was designated for distaff starters, Southwind Java went an identical trip, heading right for the lead and snapping off a torrid :26 in the process. After passing the half, Our Lady Lara A (Drew Monti) came first-up and pressured the leader to a :27 third panel and then all around the final turn. When they hit the lane, Quebecoise (Jay Randall) was charging late along with Smokin Molly (Nick Graffam) but no one could catch Southwind Java ,who scored her second straight win, this week in 1:51.4.
Southwind Java ($18.60) is owned by Latz A Luck Stable, Winners Circle Stable and John Campagnuolo, and is trained by Dennis Laterza.
Other horsepeople scoring two wins on Monday at Plainridge include drivers Nick Graffam and Wally Watson along with trainer Lisa Watson, who sent both of Wally's winners postward.
There are currently three drivers who are nearing career milestones at Plainridge and all three should be celebrating these accomplishments soon. Shawn Gray is only four wins short of 5,000, Bruce Ranger is 12 wins shy of 10,000 and Nick Graffam needs only 13 more victories to reach the 1,000 mark.
Live harness racing will resume at
Also later in the week, the first stakes action of the season at Plainridge will be held on Thursday when two divisions of the Paul Revere Pace for three-year-olds in 2023 will go postward for a total of $100,000 in purses.
(Standardbred Owners of