An outside post position proved to be no handicap to Swedish Starlet N in winning the $27,397 Fillies & Mares Open Handicap Pace at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, June 25.
Despite being assigned post eight, Swedish Starlet N led every quarter in posting a career-best mile of 1:52.
With Matty Athearn up, Swedish Starlet N was in control following a :27.3 first quarter, while Alittlesidehustle N (Kevin Switzer Jr.) tracked from second. As the race made its way to the half, Side Piece (Drew Monti) attempted a first-over move from sixth and rapidly gained ground on the leader as they straightened up the backstretch.
Side Piece drew alongside Swedish Starlet N and started a battle that would last to the wire. They hit three-quarters in 1:24.2 and then matched strides around the last turn. When they started down the stretch, neither mare would give way, but Swedish Starlet N held the edge going in over Side Piece and refused to lose at the wire.
It was the seventh win of the year from 19 starts for Swedish Starlet N. Owned by Tim Bojarski and Tony Gruppo, the Mach Three mare is 7-4-3 in 19 starts this year, good for earnings of $99,636. Jimmy Nickerson was the winning trainer.
In the secondary featured $19,178 pace, Sweet Jeff IR (Nick Graffam) sat second behind ER Griffin (Bruce Ranger) through quarters of :26.2, :54.4 and 1:23. Then at the top of the stretch, Graffam dipped Sweet Jeff IR low to the pylons and out-paced ER Griffin to the wire. Sweet Jeff IR won by a head in 1:52, setting a new lifetime mark. Sweet Jeff IR is owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and is trained by Joe Nelson.
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Thursday, June 27 with post time at 4 p.m.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)