A drop in class at Plainridge Park paid big dividends for Th Kay C Crunch on Friday, May 29 as he won the featured $16,667 conditioned pace and equalled the fastest mile of his life.
Th Kay C Crunch and driver Mitchell Cushing took the lead and marched to the quarter in :26.2 before Major Betts (Bruce Ranger) pulled from second to go to the front and scooted to the half in :55 flat. Positions remained unchanged until halfway up the backstretch where Cushing moved Th Kay C Crunch to the outside again and matched strides with Major Betts around the last turn. Th Kay C Crunch took about a length lead at the top of the stretch, but was far from home at that point. Major Betts found new life and closed in while Flirtin JK (Kevin Switzer Jr.) and Denial (Matty Athearn) were flying from the rear. But Th Kay C Crunch stood his ground and turned back all challenges to win by a quarter of a length in 1:52.1, which tied his lifetime mark set at Woodbine Mohawk Park last year.
Th Kay C Crunch paid $3.40 to win as the bettors' choice. Major Betts was the runner-up with Flirtin JK taking third over Denial.
A four-year-old son of Captain Crunch out of Special Kay Deo, Th Kay C Crunch is a former Pennsylvania stakes winner now trained by Jimmy Nickerson and owned by Joe Trice of Hampden, Maine. His sixth career win pushed his lifetime earnings over the $200,000 mark.
Cushing had a driving double during the eight-race program, as did Matty Athearn and Bruce Ranger.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday, June 1 at 4 p.m. and there will be a $26,713 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the sixth race.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)