Last year, Sweet Jeff IR won eight races and more than $100,000 in purses. So far this year, the five-year-old gelding has been winless – until Friday, when he went the mile of his life in the May 30 featured $20,548 starter allowance pace at Plainridge Park.
Sweet Jeff IR, driven by Nick Graffam, exerted his will off the gate and the 1-2 favourite went right to the lead while posting a sharp :26 first quarter. After the field reached the half in :55.2, No Laughing Stock (Mitchell Cushing) made a first-over bid and pushed Sweet Jeff IR in the :27.1 third panel. Sweet Jeff IR responded in the turn and opened up a two-length gap at the top of the stretch. But the race was not over as No Laughing Stock came back on again to challenge, but came up a half-length short as Sweet Jeff IR tripped the timer in a career-best 1:51.1. Major Betts (Bruce Ranger) rounded out the top three, finishing three lengths behind off a pocket trip.
Sweet Jeff IR, a son of Sweet Lou out of Maddi, is trained by Joe Nelson and owned by Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. He returned $3 to win.
Driver Mitchell Cushing had a big day at the lines on Friday as he scored a grand slam in the bike. Cushing won with Second Bruiser (1:51, $5.00) and Cool Your Heels (1:53.4, $7.20) who were both schooled by the day’s leading trainer Julia Eaton, along with CBF Fin (1:56, $5.80) and Longview Lad N (1:53.2, $5.20).
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday, June 2 at 4 p.m., and there will be a $2,327 carryover in the sixth race Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)