On the heels of facing top Open mares like Shartin N and Bettor Joy N in the Blue Chip series at Yonkers Raceway this spring, Betterb Chevron N shipped into Massachusetts and captured the $14,000 Winners-Over Handicap pace for fillies and mares at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon.
Shez Sugarsweet A (Ron Cushing) got off the wings best and led the field to a comfortably rated :56.2 half. Betterb Chevron N (Mitchell Cushing) came first-over there with Spilling The Beans (Mike Stevenson) tagging along on the rim.
Betterb Chevron N drew alongside Shez Sugarsweet A in the back straight and the two mares paced in unison to the three-quarters and around the far turn before Shez Sugarsweet A grudgingly gave way allowing Betterb Chevron A to take a short lead going into the stretch. With a length separating her from the her closest rival as she headed down the lane, Betterb Chevron N coasted to the wire and won in 1:54.
After winning her first three North American starts back in January and February, Betterb Chevron N ($3.00) now added her fourth victory of the year to the card for owner William Hartt and trainer Lance Hudson.
Cushing also won two more races to claim a driving Hat Trick on Thursday.
In the $12,000 conditioned event Notabadgame ($25.80) got away sixth off the gate and trailed the leader by 10-lengths before pulling second-over at the half, tipping three-deep at the five-eighths and opening up a five-length lead that would get him home first in 1:53.1 Jackie Greene owns and trains the winner.
Then Cushing helped extend the streak of the winningest horse of the current Plainridge meet to five when Gitn Drunkonaplane ($2.80) led at every station before cruising home by a length in 1:54.3. Owned by Simzer and Derue and trained by Brett Derue, Gitn Drunkonaplane has yet to taste defeat at The Ridge in 2019.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday (May 24) with a 12-race card that goes to post at 4 p.m. The Wicked Hi-5 Pentafecta in race six features a carryover pool of $4,172.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)