After reeling off nine consecutive stakes wins to end his rookie season, Brooksforreal picked up right where he left off and posted a 1:53.1 win in his three-year-old debut, taking one of two $13,889 first-round Maryland Sire Stakes divisions for sophomore pacing colts on Wednesday, April 30 at Rosecroft Raceway.
In line to Jared Moyer, Brooksforreal sat off a :27.3 first-quarter duel between Hungry Cougar (Jonathan Roberts) and Rustys Lancelot (Eric Davis) before brushing three-wide to the lead with a lap to go. Once in control, the Rustys For Real-Brooks Range gelding clicked off middle splits of :55.2 and 1:24.4 before fending off a resurgent Hungry Cougar by a half length. Rustys Lancelot finished third after failing to convert a pocket bid off the home turn.
Stacey McLenaghan trains Brooksforreal, now a 10-time winner with $239,682 in earnings from 14 starts, for Lucky Lilly Belle Stable of Culpeper, Virginia. He paid $2.10 to win as the overwhelming favourite.
Classic Cougar ($7.40) won the other male pacing division, posting a gate-to-wire 1:54.1 score over Dont Say Maybe (Frank Milby). William Carter drove the homebred Cougar Hall-Classic Mosee gelding to his second career victory for trainer Joe Offutt, who shares ownership with Karen Offutt with Woodsboro, Maryland.
Woodys Girl ($9.40) took the speed badge among pacing fillies, sustaining a first-over push off the home turn to collar 1-5 favourite Toys Little Tinker (William Carter) by a neck in 1:55 in line to Tim Deaton. Trainer Kasey Bendix co-owns the homebred Rustys For Real-Scootin Woody filly, now a three-time winner, with Virginia Marvel of Willards, Maryland.
Post Jolene ($3.80) captured the other pacing filly split, pulling the pocket on pacesetter Mygirlmia (William Carter) and vaulting clear to break her maiden by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:56. Jonathan Roberts drove the Nuclear Breeze-Positive Post filly for trainer, owner and breeder Winston Williams of Eden, Maryland.
On the trotting side of the ledger, TJ Jadster (Il Mago-Marlene And Grace) and driver William Carter was deemed a 2:09 winner for trainer Billy Carter and Caret, Virginia owner Elwood Tignor in the three-horse male trot after racing a distant third behind Yall Keep Dreaming (Johnathan Ahle) and Roan Ridge (Fern Paquet Jr.) through splits of :28.3, :58.2 and 1:27.4 and inheriting the lead in mid-stretch after Yall Keep Dreaming broke stride and Roan Ridge collided into him and subsequently fell.
In the subsequent filly trot, Yall Just Love Me and Johnathan Ahle made steady late inroads to collar K J The Thirteenth (Fern Paquet Jr.) in the final yards of a 1:57.1 mile. The hombred Yall Beneath Me-Likeavirgin Lindy filly is trained and owned by Richard Hans of Westminster, Maryland.
On the heels of his five-win effort on Monday, driver Jonathan Roberts reeled off five more victories on Wednesday's card. In addition to Post Jolene, the Maryland mainstay also won with Ideal Wish (1:55.4, $36.40), Tater Tot Hanover (1:55.2, $2.20), Whatineedisaman (1:55, $2.80) and Auntmillysmartini (1:54.1, $4.40).
Roberts' 10-win week propelled him to the top of the Rosecroft driving standings, and he now leads Russell Foster, 58-49, with five programs remaining in the meet. Johnathan Ahle is third, with 41, followed by Roger Plante Jr. in fourth (29) and William Carter and Hugh O'Neil tied for fifth (27).
Live harness racing returns to Rosecroft on Saturday, May 3 when the 11-race card will feature a $3,448.45 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5, offered in race 10. First post is 7:15 p.m.
(With files from Rosecroft Raceway)