For Once Inmy Life resumed his dominance of the Open ranks at Plainridge Park as he remained undefeated in four starts in the track's top class with another front-end open-length victory on Thursday, June 18.
For Once Inmy Life (Bruce Ranger) went right to the front in the $38,194 Open Handicap Pace and cut fractions of :26.2, :55.3 and 1:22.3 while Mydadsaid A (Brett Beckwith) took a pocket tour. For Once Inmy Life accelerated on the far turn and pulled away by 3-1/4 lengths with a :26.4 kicker to win in 1:49.2, marking his second sub-1:50 timing in a row at Plainridge. Mydadsaid A held second over Two Fold Cold (David Ingraham).
For Once Inmy Life visited Plainridge for the first time in his career in April, debuting at the Plainville, Mass. oval with a win in the Open Pace. The Cory Stratton trainee has gone four-for-four in the premier class and finished third in the Grade 3 Joseph Auger Memorial at Harrah's Philadelphia in May. The six-year-old Downbytheseaside-Flyme To The Moon gelding, owned by Winters Racing Stable, is 20-for-67 lifetime. He paid $2.20 to win.
In the co-featured $34,722 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace, Mrs Cheese toiled uncovered and finished gamely for the victory. Mrs Cheese (Kevin Switzer Jr.) got away third as Intothemysticmoon (Bruce Ranger) led to the quarter in :26.3 and half in :55.2. At the midway point, Switzer had Mrs Cheese out and rolling towards the leader and got within a length at three-quarters in 1:22.1. The mares matched strides around the turn until they straightened for home where Mrs Cheese wore down Intothemysticmoon for a half-length win in 1:51.2. Swedish Starlet N (Matty Athearn) was third.
Mrs Cheese won her Plainridge Open debut, improving to six-for-15 this season. The four-year-old daughter of American Ideal-Ms Cheesman is trained by Jackie Greene and owned by Kellogg Racing Stables LLC and Jackie Greene Stables LLC. Mrs Cheese is now nine-for-30 lifetime. She returned $10.20.
In the upper-level $34,722 optional-claiming pace, Rockin On Venus (Bruce Ranger) and Hes Coming On (Mitchell Cushing) battled to the quarter in :25.4 before Hes Coming On took the lead and got to the half in :54.3. There was no rest for the weary as Tenzing Bromac N (Ron Cushing) moved first-over and came at Hes Coming On, pushing him to a :27 panel to three-quarters in 1:21.3. Hes Coming On and Tenzing Bromac N went toe-to-toe around the last bend and into the stretch, but Rockin On Venus found room between those two rivals and outpaced them both to the line by two lengths in 1:49.4, which was a seasonal mark. Hes Coming On held on for second over Jackson Cooper (Brett Beckwith).
Rockin On Venus has now won four of 15 starts this year and is 36-for-142 overall. Enrico Robinson trains the eight-year-old Rockin Image-Venus Killean stallion for Pollack Racing LLC. The win price was $10.60.
Drivers Brett Beckwith and Bruce Ranger and trainers Enrico Robinson and Cory Stratton all scored two victories apiece on the 10-race card.
Racing resumes at Plainridge on Friday at 4 p.m. There will be a $3,408 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the sixth race.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)