Moonshine Kisses continued his career year of 2023, setting two more records at Plainridge Park on Thursday (June 15).
His 1:48.1 victory in the featured $25,000 Open Handicap Pace gave him a new lifetime mark, set a new track record for older pacing horses (besting his own previous record of 1:49) and tied the all-time track pacing record set by Shartin N in 2020 and equalled by her stablemate Lyons Sentinel in 2021.
Jay Randall sent Moonshine Kisses to the front in :26.2 and then settled in on the point for the duration. With Rockin Withelvis A (Brett Beckwith) in the pocket, Moonshine Kisses hit the half in :54.2 when Lous Sweetrevenge (Greg Merton) came first-up at the five-eighths and got within a length of the leader as they entered the far turn. But that would be as close as he would get. Randall asked Moonshine Kisses for a little more and the horse responded by pulling away to a 1-1/4 length lead at the light, under wraps, in 1:48.1.
It was the third straight top class win at Plainridge for Moonshine Kisses ($3) and his career-best 10th win of the season overall. The winner’s share of the purse pushed his seasonal tally to $150,620, which is also his one-year best for earnings. Kellogg Racing Stable owns Moonshine Kisses, who is trained by Jackie Greene.
Another track record was just missed earlier in the card when Dandys Everlasting won the co-featured $25,000 Winners-Over Pace for fillies and mares in 1:50.3, missing the current standard for four-year-old pacing mares by only one-fifth of a second.
Dandys Everlasting (Matty Athearn) got away fourth from post one as Probert (Brett Beckwith) took command early while parking Newsy N (Mitchell Cushing) and Booraa N (Ron Cushing) to the quarter in :26.4. Booraa N eventually got the front after her three-deep airing and tripped the timer at the half in :54.4. With little rest for the weary, Booraa N faced yet another challenge from Dandys Everlasting, who was motoring up the outside and drew even just past the three-quarters. By the top of the stretch, Dandys Everlasting was clear by one-half length and maintained that margin all the way to the wire where she won in 1:50.3, equalling her lifetime mark.
It was the fifth win of the year for Dandys Everlasting ($12.80), owned by Dandy Farms Racing and FT Racing. Jimmy Nickerson was the winning trainer.
Athearn and Nickerson both ended the day with two wins.
Other participants with multiple victories included drivers Brett Beckwith and Bruce Ranger, who both scored doubles, along with trainer Melissa Beckwith, who had a total of three wins during the afternoon.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday (June 19) at 4 p.m. and there will be a $16,876 carryover in the Jackpot Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in race six and a $390 carryover in the Pick-6 in race four.
(Plainridge Park)