Kazio Dk led from start to finish for his first victory at Plainridge Park in the featured $38,732 Open Handicap Trot in a career-best clocking on Tuesday, June 23.
Kevin Switzer Jr. pushed Kazio Dk right to the front and set solid fractions of :27.2 and :57.1 to the half, with Memorynimagination (Matty Athearn) contently sitting in the pocket. At the midway point, Spaaaanzano (Drew Monti) pulled first-up and pushed the pace to three-quarters in 1:24.4.
Kazio Dk kept Spaaaanzano at bay as they trotted through the last bend, but the race was far from won at that point. When they turned for home, Memorynimagination found room at the pegs and Resolve To Win (Bruce Ranger) was flying on the outside. They both gained ground late, but Kazio Dk held them off and won by a half-length in 1:53.4. Memorynimagination hung on for second over Resolve To Win.
Kazio Dk, imported to the United States from Scandinavia after his 2025 season, is six-for-12 on the year for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, FAC Racing LLC and Yannick Gingras. The five-year-old son of Muscle Massive-Sasha won the John Brennan Trotting Series final in April and has now recorded a win, a second and a third in five Planridge Open tries since shifting to Massachusetts in May. Joe Nelson trains the gelding, who is 12-for-44 lifetime. The win price was $11.
After Kazio Dk struck for the first time at Plainridge, trainer Nancy Bauer scored for the first time in her career as Bill Bauer ($26.60) won the ninth race. The seven-year-old E L Titan-Miss Flaggy Meadow gelding was on top through the first three-quarters of a mile before Balenciaga (Matt Athearn) popped the pocket and narrowly edged ahead of the pacesetter on the final turn. Those two duelled down the lane, and Bill Bauer withstood the challenge to win by a nose in 1:54. Sangria Girl (Jay Randall) was third. Nick Graffam piloted the winner for owners Leo Bauer and Gretchen Grosky.
All eight of Bauer's starts have come with Bill Bauer, whom the trainer sent out for her career debut in April 23. The Rochester, Mass. resident now has a record of 9-1-1-2 for a UTR of .247.
In the $30,986 upper-level conditioned trot, Pepper Wow (Mitchell Cushing) got away a gapped fifth as Ordained (Nick Graffam) sped through early fractions of :26.4 and :55.3. Ordained continued on an easy lead heading up the backstretch where Bravado (Drew Monti) moved first-over into second at three-quarters in 1:24 with Pepper Wow following loosely fourth in the breeze. Ordained took the lead into the stretch but Pepper Wow, who was now second, flew right by him and kicked away to register a five-length win in 1:52.3 and take a new lifetime mark. Ordained held second over Ponda Rocky (Kevin Switzer Jr.).
Pepper Wow ($7.20) is owned by Kathy and Earl Beaman and Ivan Davies, who trains the stallion. The five-year-old son of Crazy Wow-Tori Hall is now two-for-six this year and 14-for-51 lifetime.
Drivers Mitchell Cushing, Kevin Switzer Jr. and Brett Beckwith all had two wins on the 10-race card.
There was a big payout in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the day’s ninth race. The single unique combination of 1-2-3-6-4 returned $8,296.34.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday at 4 p.m.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)