Tisadream N took on all comers for the entire mile yet hung tough to the wire to win the featured $12,000 Winners-Over Handicap pace at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon.
Leaving from the rail, Tisadream N (Drew Monti) took the initial lead until Sir Puglsey (Shawn Gray) hustled up on the outside to grab the front before the quarter in :26.4. However not content to take the trip, Monti pulled right line and went back to the top in front of the stands and then settled back to the cones. But the outer flow immediately came at him with Bet You (Nick Graffam) leading the way, bringing Opus Blue Chip (Mike Stevenson) and Pickled Preacher (Jay Randall) with him.
Bet You engaged Tisadream N at the half and paced stride for stride with him up the backside in a quick :27.1 third quarter, then around the far turn and into the stretch where Opus Blue Chip tipped three deep and Pickled Preacher went four-out. Now four across the track, the pack paced down the lane with everyone having a shot. But Monti asked for more and he got it from Tisadream N who paced stoutly to the wire to win by a length in 1:51.4.
It was the third win in nine starts this year and second win in a row for Tisadream N ($4.40) who tied his lifetime mark of 1:51.4 set just last week. The 6-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Dreamy Atom is owned by Tony Gruppo and Tim Bojarski and is trained by Scott Rollins.
Monti also won the co-featured $12,000 upper conditioned pace with Betterlatethannever who went from worst to first in short order. Betterlatethannever got away last from post nine and stayed in that position until the five-eighths pole where Monti tipped out to follow live cover to the top of the turn. There he swung five-deep heading into the stretch and barrelled down the lane to out-duel My Mind Is Madeup (Jim Hardy) to the wire by a neck in 1:52.2. The winning time equalled his seasonal best.
Just claimed last week for $15,000, Betterlatethannever ($10.80) paid instant dividends for new owner Clark Davis and trainer Benson Merrill.
Drew Monti completed the natural hat trick in races five, six and seven with Warrawee Nonsuch (1:51.4, $22.80) to lead all drivers on Monday for wins.
On a couple of betting notes, there was an instant jackpot payout in the eighth race Superfecta. The 5-2-7-3 combination returned $24,395.80 for a $2 wager. And there is another Wicked Hi-5 Pentafecta carryover pool of $3,656 for the sixth race on Thursday when live racing resumes at Plainridge Park. Post time for the first race is 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)