After starting slow, Patrikthepiranha A finished with a flurry to win the $25,000 Open pace at
Rock Diamonds N (Ron Cushing) took the lead at the quarter in :26.3 while seating JK Will Power (Jay Randall) and parking Rollinlikethunder (Drew Monti) while Patrikthepiranha A (Bruce Ranger) got away sixth. The battle on the front continued to the half in :55.2 and three-quarters in 1:23.1, where Chatelroll (Nick Graffam) and Patrikthepiranha A were now driving three-deep into the last turn around the tiring Rollinlikethunder.
As the race spiralled off the far turn the horses fanned wide for the stretch run. Rock Diamonds N still had the lead but Chatelroll soon grabbed it from him in the middle of the track. But then Patrikthepiranha A was barrelling down the straight widest of all and hit the wire ahead by a length to win his third consecutive start at Plainridge, timed in 1:50.3 featuring a sharp :26.4 final panel.
Patrikthepiranha A ($4.00) went over $300,000 in lifetime earnings with the victory, now showing $305,351 in the bank. Owned by Thestable Patrikthepiranha, the winner is trained by Melissa Beckwith.
Bruce Ranger won two more races during the afternoon to lead all drivers for the day.
Earlier in the $20,000 upper-level conditioned pace, Always A Miki scored his first win of the year in a tough come from behind effort.
Always A Miki (Luke Hanners) followed cover second-over behind Captain Nash (Bruce Ranger) past the half in pursuit of the front-stepping Rockin The Blaze (Jay Randall) who got to that station in :54.4. Heading up the backside Captain Nash tucked in third behind
Always A Miki ($6.00) is owned by Joe Trice and is trained by Jimmy Nickerson.
Live racing resumes at
(Standardbred Owners of