Matty “Ice” Athearn was cool as a cucumber at the lines on Monday afternoon (June 26) at Plainridge Park as he scored a grand slam during the afternoon, including a natural hat trick in races seven, eight and nine, that included both trotting feature races.
In the $25,000 Winners-Over Trot, Athearn steered Esa to his ninth win of the year in a career-best effort.
Esa got away second behind I Da Princess (Nick Graffam), who led to the quarter in :27.2 before Sidd Finch (Drew Campbell) went first-over to match strides with the lone mare in the race. The two then tangled to the half in :57.3 and three-quarters in 1:24.4 while Esa watched the action from the pocket. As they came off the far turn, Sidd Finch trotted by I Da Princess while Esa swung three-deep and into contention. From there, the trotters were dead even heading down the lane while both drivers bounced in their bikes in unison. Sidd Finch was steadfast in his effort, but Esa just got up by a nose at the light to win in 1:54.3 to establish a new lifetime mark.
With the win, Esa ($14) went over the century mark in earnings this year, now boasting $102,881. Trainer John Hallett co-owns Esa, a career winner of more than $321,000, with Ronald Prohm.
Athearn also won the co-featured $17,000 conditioned trot with Replica Hanover, who also took a new lifetime mark.
In a similar steer to Esa, Athearn put Replica Hanover in the two-hole behind Bill Bauer (Drew Campbell), who posted fractions of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:25.2 with no challenges coming from the rear. As the pair passed the seven-eighths, Replica Hanover pulled out and came right at Bill Bauer. Within five pylons, Replica Hanover had taken the lead and then trotted home under a line drive to win by one length in a career-best 1:55.2.
It was the fifth win of the year for Replica Hanover ($18.40), who is owned by Barbara Dresser and trained by Gretchen Athearn.
Matty “Ice” also won with Topolino (1:55.4, $7.80) and Royaltys Rocket (1:56.2, $15.40) to complete his four-bagger.
Athern currently sits second in the dash derby at Plainridge with 44 wins, behind Bruce Ranger, who now has 58 wins after his driving hat trick on Monday.
After longtime Massachusetts native Bob Tisbert drove Courts In Session to victory in 1:58.2 in the sixth race at Plainridge Park on Monday, he circled back with the trotter he also trains and entered the winner’s circle for the 2,400th time in his career that dates back to 1962.
Now in his seventh decade in the sport, Tisbert has been a stalwart horseman in New England harness racing and has experienced success at all levels. He drove against the best in the Commonwealth during the 1970s and '80s, which was an era that featured greats like Jim Doherty, Ted Wing, Bucky Day, John Hogan, Bert Beckwith and Bill O’Donnell in the program every night. Yet he finished high on the leaderboard at Rockingham Park, Scarborough Downs and his home track Foxboro Park year in and year out. And now decades later, he’s still competing with today's top reinsmen.
Tisbert, who just turned 86 on April 28, was always a high percentage, sought-after driver and sat behind many stars of the day, including Cotton On N (38 wins, 1:57, $84,269), who paced the fastest mile ever in Maine in 1987, Cindys Band (46 wins, 1:57.4, $163,126), who was a New England Sire Stakes standout that he bred, and Fancy Star (39 wins, 1:57.4, $179,936), who was a top-notch Open pacer he drove to multiple victories at the Meadowlands.
When Plainridge Park opened in 1999, Tisbert was an original member of the driver colony and has remained a regular ever since, competing at the track for 24 consecutive years.
Tisbert had a career-year for numbers in 1986 when he started 1,054 times producing 201 wins, 164 seconds and 119 thirds. However, his highest earnings came in 1980 when he bankrolled $399,091 in the bike. His career earnings to date amount to $5.7 million.
For his many accomplishments in the sport, Tisbert was voted into the New England Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2021.
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and there will be a $2,535 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race six and a $582 carryover in the Pick-6 that starts in race four.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)