It may have been hazy at the Northville, Michigan oval on Saturday night (June 10), but the stars aligned for the 10-year-old stallion Stars Align A and driver Kim Pluta as they went wire-to-wire to take the featured $10,800 Open Handicap Pace at Northville Downs in 1:53.2.
Pluta fired Stars Align A right to the front off the wings of the gate to an eye-popping opening quarter of :26.2. They faced a challenge by Oh K Man to a half in :55 but Stars Align A was too good, opening up down the backstretch to three-quarters in 1:23.3. A late stretch challenge came from Gabe The Babe and Drew Neill, but it was not enough to beat Stars Align A, who held on to win by a half-length over Gabe The Babe while Oh K Man settled for third.
Stars Align A is owned by Joshua Jay Graber and trained by Samuel Eicher. The victory was career win No. 45 and pushed the stud’s lifetime earnings to $623,292.
Driver Drew Neill had four wins on the program. Art McIlmurray and Kody Massey had driving doubles and trainer Paul Cloer Jr. had a training triple while Jason Seymour had a training double.
Racing at The Ville resumes on Friday, June 16 at 7 p.m. (EDT). Friday night is dollar night featuring $1 live programs, $1 pop and popcorn, $2 hot dogs and beer and hamburger and cheeseburger specials.
(Northville Downs)