Despite being handicapped with post eight in a top field of pacers, Lous Sweetrevenge convincingly scored his second straight victory in the $25,000 Winners-Over pace at Plainridge Park on Thursday (May 11) and recorded his second consecutive lifetime mark in the process.
Greg Merton put Lous Sweetrevenge on the point and comfortably controlled the pace to the half in :55.2. While Seventh Secret (Mitchell Cushing) was tracking from the garden spot, The Wild Card (Bruce Ranger) brushed up the rim and got to second as they paced by three-quarters. Lous Sweetrevenge remained unfazed by the challenges and kept his distance from the chasers into the stretch. Merton shook the lines to keep him on task and Lous Sweetrevenge responded by pacing home in a swift :27.3 final panel to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:50.2.
In his 100th start, Lous Sweetrevenge ($3.80) enriched his career bank to $461,780 for owner Carmen Iannacone while giving trainer Andrew Adamczyk his second win of the day.
Merton also ended the day with two wins.
There were also two solid $20,000 undercard dashes that yielded personal achievements for both winners.
In the sub-feature for older horses, the venerable Crockets Cullen N (Brett Beckwith) grabbed the lead from his pylon starting position and seated the field in short order. With Justa Little Bit A (Nick Graffam) following intently from second, Crockets Cullen N marched off fractions of :26.1, :55.4 and 1:23.2 before turning for home and taking a two length lead to the light where he stopped the clock in 1:51, which was only two-fifths of a second off his lifetime mark.
It was the 60th career win for the 12-year-old Crockets Cullen N ($9.60), who is owned and trained by “The Bomber,” Larry Stalbaum.
The other $20,000 pace was for six-year-olds and under and it went to DP Realordeal (Bruce Ranger), who drafted fourth to a :55.4 half before pulling first-over on the backside. DP Realordeal drew alongside the leading JK’s Champ (Luke Hanners) just past the three-quarters, cleared at the top of the stretch and then pulled away to a two-length margin of victory in a lifetime best tying time of 1:51.1.
DP Realordeal ($3) is owned by William Hartt and trained by Lance Hudson.
A pair of young guns had the hot hands at Plainridge on Thursday as Matty “Ice” Athearn and Brett Beckwith both scored driving hat tricks during the day to best all other reinsmen.
The Jackpot Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta was hit in race six and the 6-2-1-5-4 combination returned $5,218.06 for the 20-cent wager.
Live racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday, May 15 at 4 p.m. and highlighting the card will be the $100,000 Bunker Hill Trot for three-year-olds in 2023. Seven will go postward in the seventh race to compete in the second edition of this already record-setting event. Last year, Jonas KS set a new track record of 1:53 for three-year-old trotting colts and also established the time standard for this stake.
(Plainridge Park)