Plainridge Park’s current leading dash driver, Bruce Ranger, swept Thursday afternoon's (June 24) $15,000 pacing features at Plainridge Park, teaming up with So Amazing and General Ward in their respective events.
The top event for pacing fillies and mares saw So Amazing capture her fourth win of 2021 in a new lifetime mark.
So Amazing took an early lead, but yielded to Sweet Sue (Jim Hardy) before the quarter, opting for the garden spot. Sweet Sue continued to carry the mail to the half and three-quarters before Know Your Roll (Drew Monti) rolled up alongside. As they passed that station in 1:24, Sweet Sue started to pull away from the outside threat. But at the head of the lane, Ranger tipped So Amazing off cover and came right at the leader. Sweet Sue and So Amazing matched strides all the way to the finish line, where So Amazing won by a quarter length in 1:52.3.
It was the fourth victory of the year for So Amazing ($8.40), who already matched her total number of wins from last year. The Massachusetts-bred daughter of So Surreal and Teddy Ballgirl, eligible to stakes in both Massachusetts, is owned by Nancy and Domenic Longobardi and is trained by George Ducharme.
In the all-male grouping, General Ward scored his second straight victory while turning in his second fastest time of the meet.
General Ward tucked second momentarily off the gate, but was out and rolling before the :26.2 quarter and took the lead in front of the stands. From there, he marched to the half in :55.2 and three-quarters in 1:23. Whereas the leader had obtained no pressure from an outer flow, Rogerthat Bluechip (Drew Monti) sat the pocket the entire trip and was ready to strike. Just before the seven-eighths pole, Monti pulled the right line and Rogerthat Bluechip became a willing participant. Now alongside General Ward at the head of the stretch, Rogerthat Bluechip paced with the leader all the way to the line but could never get ahead of him. General Ward hung on by three-quarters of a length and won in 1:51.2.
It was the fourth win in the last six starts for General Ward ($3.80), whom Melissa Beckwith trains for the M G Stable.
Ranger rounded out a driving grand slam with wins by Obscene Blue Chip (1:54, $10.60) and RJ Maverick (1:52.2, $3.40).
Melissa Beckwith was the top trainer of the day, winning two races on the card.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday (June 25) with a carryover of $9,809 in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager, offered in the sixth race. Post time for the first race is 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)