All but assured the driving premiership at Rosecroft Raceway's winter-spring meet heading into the Sunday, May 18 closing-day program, Jonathan Roberts finished with a flourish, driving seven winners on the 13-race card, including Sheer Terror in the featured $16,667 Open Handicap Pace.
Sheer Terror pushed clear of Dontmesswithles (Roger Plante Jr.) at the end of a :26 first quarter before controlling middle splits of :55.2 and 1:22.3 unopposed. Turning for home, Sheer Terror faced an outside challenge from Dontmesswithles while Business Director (Russell Foster) took aim up the open stretch. Sheer Terror remained resolute in victory, defeating Dontmesswithles by three-quarters of a length in 1:51. Business Director made belated inroads up the pegs to preserve third.
Willard Reynolds trains Sheer Terror, a five-year-old Always B Miki-Economy Terror gelding owned by Mark Howard. Sheer Terror paid $2.60 to win while recording his third victory in five starts at the Rosecroft meet.
Roberts ended the meet with 74 driving wins, 15 better than runner-up Russell Foster's 59. Johnathan Ahle finished third, with 46.
On the training ledger, Johnny Crites Jr. clinched the seasonal title when Fox Valley Mamba won the 10th race, a conditioned pace, in 1:55.1. Crites took top training honours with 20 wins, followed by Alexandra Goldin (19) and William 'Bib' Roberts (18).
Walter Birney Jr.'s Dontmesswithles was named the Male Pacer of the Meet, recording six wins in 15 starts, with five of those wins coming against Winners-Over or Open fields. Franklin and Elizabeth Gannon's Phoenix Rising was the Female Pacer of the Meet by way of three top-level wins in 10 starts, and Eric Foster's College Tuition earned Trotter of the Meet honours with four wins from seven starts, including his 1:52.4 triumph on April 23 and two victories over JL Cruze.
The Maryland harness racing circuit shifts to Ocean Downs for the summer months. Live racing returns to Rosecroft in mid-September.
(With files from Rosecroft Raceway; photo of Sheer Terror and Roberts winning on April 28 at Rosecroft)