After pacing in 1:49.2 last week while beaten only 2-1/2 lengths by Natameri in the fastest mile of the year so far at Plainridge Park, Ever Hoping A bounced right back and turned class and post relief into an open length victory in the $23,288 featured pace on Monday afternoon (June 10).
Ever Hoping A (Ron Cushing) got away second as Tack Room Chatter (Brett Beckwith) led by two lengths in a fast :26.2 opening quarter. But Cushing, not content with the trip, had Ever Hoping A out and rolling past that station, took the lead in front of the stands and remained there for the duration of the race. After stopping the timer in :54.4 at the half and 1:23.1 at three-quarters with very little pressure from the field, Ever Hoping A rounded the last bend and scooted home on top by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:52.
The triumph was the fourth win of the year for the heavily backed Ever Hoping A ($3.40) who is owned by his driver Cushing, in partnership with Stephen Downey, Ronald Ralph and Romanelli Racing. Heidi Cushing trains the winner.
There were also two secondary features that actually produced the fastest miles of the day.
In the $20,548 District 9 event, Odds On Lauderdale (Brett Beckwith) sat second behind Sundown Kid (Shawn Thayer) through quarters of :26.2, :54.4 and 1:22.3. After coming off the far turn, Beckwith moved around Sundown Kid and paced away to a three-quarter length win in 1:51.2.
Trained and owned by Mike Eaton, Odds On Lauderdale ($4.00) won his sixth win of the year.
Then in the $19,178 mid-level conditioned pace, Paternity Suit A (Matty Athearn) sat fourth behind the front running Rooster Bennett (Brett Beckwith) until the five-eighths when Athearn pulled him first-over in the breeze, where he remained until the top of the stretch. There, Paternity Suit A switched gears and paced home in front by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.4.
Owned by Tim Bojarski and Tony Gruppo and trained by Jimmy Nickerson, Paternity Suit A ($5.60) recorded his 43rd lifetime win.
There was a milestone reached in the third race by the venerable pacer Calvin B (Matty Athearn) after he won by a head in 1:54 for owner/trainer Gretchen Athearn. The triumph was the 60th lifetime win for the now 14-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Croquette Hanover, who in 327 career starts has now bankrolled $537,576.
Matty Athearn scored the driving hat trick on Monday while Brett Beckwith and Drew Campbell each registered two wins, and 11 different trainers each won one race apiece.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (June 11) with post time at 4 p.m. and the card will feature a $1,103 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 in race six.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)