Co-featured trots both valued at $23,288 were the top of the mark at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon, May 9 and both races were won with front-end efforts that produced career-best clockings for the champs.
In the first event, Enola (Bruce Ranger) took almost the entire first quarter to grab the lead from post seven, but she got there in :28.2 and crossed over to the pegs. As Emmajean Jellybean (Steve Wilson) sat in the pocket, Down Right Devious (Mitchell Cushing) moved up on the outside first-over at the :58.1 half and got within a length of the leader at three-quarters in 1:26.3. The top three trotted around the last turn in tight quarters, and Down Right Devious continued to apply pressure to Enola. At the top of the lane, Emmajean Jellybean found room and split the top two trotters, barrelling towards Enola. At that point, the only two mares in the race went toe to toe all the way to the wire, where Enola clung to a nose victory in 1:55.3 and took a new lifetime mark as a result.
Owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and trained by Joe Nelson, the Ontario-bred Enola ($16.20), a daughter of Resolve, has now won half of her 10 seasonal starts.
In the second contest, Yucatan Party Man (Mitchell Cushing) also left from post seven and similarly set up shop on the point at the :27.3 quarter. While Big Box Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) tracked from second, Yucatan Party Man trotted unaccosted past the :57 half and to three-quarters in 1:26 where Big Al M (Matty Athearn) drew alongside and matched strides with the leader around the final bend. As they entered the stretch, Yucatan Party Man put away Big Al M and then held off a late charge by Sidd Finch (Bruce Ranger) in deep stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.3 to also take a new lifetime mark.
Yucatan Party Man ($15.20), a six-year-old Credit Winner gelding now three-for-seven on the year, is owned by Joseph and Albert Ciuffetelli and is trained by Tony Ciuffetelli.
There were two major upsets on Thursday when Notoutofthewoods (Mark Whitcroft) won in 1:57 and paid $81.80 in the seventh race before Stamped By Lindy (Drew Campbell) scored a 1:55.3 victory and returned $47 in the 10th race.
There was also another major payoff when the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta was hit in the sixth race. The single unique combination of 7-4-1-3-5 returned $5,863,80 for the 20-cent wager.
Drew Campbell and Bruce Ranger each scored two driving wins on Thursday while 11 different trainers each recorded one win apiece.
When racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday, May 13, Plainridge Park will be offering a new wager called The Plainridge Park Place Pick 8. If the bettor correctly chooses a horse that finishes first or second in each of the Place Pick 8 races, the wager is won. If not, there will be a consolation payoff for any other wager(s) with the most correct selections and the pool will be carried over to the next live racing day. The wager will start in race three and run through race 10 daily, unless there are fewer than 10 races when that wager would start in an earlier race. The Place Pick 8 will not be offered when there are eight or fewer races. The Plainridge Park Place Pick 8 is a $1 minimum wager with a 20 per cent takeout.
Post time for the first race is 4 p.m.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)