Coming from off the pace and through a lot of traffic, Always Bstunning N earned her third win of the year at Plainridge Park after taking the $33,784 Winners-Over Handicap for fillies and mares on Tuesday (June 17) afternoon.
Always Bstunning N (Kevin Switzer Jr.) got away fifth as longshot Intothemysticmoon (Nick Graffam) led through early quarters of :26.4 and :55.2. At the half, My August Moon (Ron Cushing) started an outer flow that included Side Piece (Drew Monti) and Always Bstunning N.
As the race approached three-quarters, My August Moon stalled, forcing Side Piece and Always Bstunning N to go three-wide around her. With the field bunching around the final turn, Intothemysticmoon’s lead was diminishing quickly and a match race between the now cleared Side Piece and Always Bstunning N was just beginning at the top of the stretch. Side Piece and Always Bstunning N matched strides all the way down the lane in close proximity until just before the line where Always Bstunning N got the advantage by a head to win in 1:51.3. Swedish Starlet N (Matthew Athearn) finished in the third spot.
Always Bstunning N ($5.40) is owned by Richard Poillucci and trained by Gretchen Athearn. The six-year-old daughter of Always B Miki-Simply Stunning has won four of seven on the year and 10 times for her career.
It was the third win of the day for Athearn, who moved into a first place tie with Jimmy Nickerson for top dash trainer of the meet, with both now having 18 wins.
Earlier in the $21,623 upper-level conditioned pace for distaff participants, Checkpoint Chatter (Jim Hardy) sat second behind Seaside Tina (Walter Case Jr.) who cut quarters of :26.4, :56.1 and 1:24.3 while fending off a pesky Beantown Ace (Nick Graffam) in that third panel. When the race entered the stretch, Seaside Tina was getting leg-weary as Beantown Ace nudged ahead on the outside, but it was Checkpoint Chatter who found room along the pegs and bolted for the line first to win in a season's best 1:52.3. Beantown Ace held for second, with Fade Out (Brett Beckwith) finishing third.
Checkpoint Chatter ($7.80) is owned by Upland Farm and trained by Donny Guidette Jr. The seven-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin-Blistletoe has won 28 times for her career.
Matty Athearn was the leading driver on Tuesday with two wins in the bike.
There was a huge payoff in the ninth race when one unique winning Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta ticket on the combination of 5-3-2-9-1 returned $5,248.54 USD for the 20-cent wager.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Thursday (June 19) at 4 p.m.
(With files from The Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)