Special T Rocks returned home a winner Monday in Harrington Raceway’s $17,500 Open Pace for driver Ross Wolfenden.
Mckenry marched to the early lead setting fractions of :27.3 and :56.1 before Wick N applied serious pressure to three-quarters in 1:24, while Special T Rocks gathered three-wide momentum. Mckenry led the field of seven at the top of the stretch but was reeled in by Special T Rocks in deep stretch for the win in 1:52. Wakizashi Hanover, the race favourite, was a belated second and Mckenry held third.
Owned by William Sartin and Mark Salerno, it was the fourth win of the year for Special T Rocks, a nine-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding whose previous 2017 wins came at the Meadowlands, where he spent the previous few months. He paid $7.00 to win.
Trained by Joe Hundertpfund Jr., Special T Rocks padded his lifetime earnings to nearly $625,000. It was one of three wins on the program for Wolfenden, who also won with Hey Dali ($8) and Gimmethreestepsmr ($4).
Tony Morgan, won the first three races on the program, including both halves of the Daily Double. In the first race, Ron Davis' Mister Virgin ($3, Morgan) was a dominant nine-length winner in 1:52 for trainer Brooks Gray. The $10,000-claimer set all the fractions from the rail in achieving his 20th career win and tied a personal season's best.
Meanwhile, Joan Dalphon and Elanor Laws' Dont Ya Know ($3.40, Morgan) had no trouble in prevailing for the fourth time this season for trainer Jason Skinner to complete the Daily Double sequence, with a 1:53.3 triumph. Morgan had the race favourite, Rangers Sureshot, in the fourth race but finished third as Classiesistar N ($10.60, Montrell Teague) prevailed in 1:52.4 in a sub-featured $11,000 pace.
(Harrington Raceway)