Two of the top trotters at the current Plainridge Park meet hit the wire simultaneously on Tuesday, June 9, and both took lifetime marks as they won the featured $38,194 Open Handicap Trot.
Resolve To Win (Bruce Ranger) out-left Memorynimagination (Matty Athearn) and Kazio Dk (Kevin Switzer Jr.) off the gate and passed the quarter on top in :27. With Memorynimagination now in the pocket, Resolve To Win reached the half in :56.2 and three-quarters in 1:23.4, and the leading pair pulled away from the rest heading into the last turn.
Resolve To Win came out of that bend with a length lead, but Athearn had Memorynimagination in the two-path with a full head of steam. Resolve To Win stayed on task, but Memorynimagination continued to close. The pair trotted flawlessly in tandem to the line, which they crossed in unison in 1:52.2. Chapheart (Cory Stratton) was third.
The win was the eight of the year in 15 starts for Memorynimagination, who has raced exclusively in the Open ranks at Plainridge and Saratoga Raceway. The five-year-old son of Father Patrick-Fellowship Of Two, now 22-for-82 lifetime, is trained by Jimmy Nickerson for Joe Trice. He returned $3.40.
Resolve To Win, a six-year-old son of Resolve-Sensual Hall, is now six-for-13 this year for trainer Enrico Robinson and owner Pollack Racing LLC. He has won 31 times in 100 career attempts. The win price was $2.60.
Earlier in the card, Mothers Moni equalled the track record for three-year-old trotting geldings with a commanding 1:53.1 victory. Bruce Ranger had the son of International Moni-Mother Teresa on top by the quarter in :27.3 and well in front through :55.4 and 1:24 splits, and Mothers Moni completed the mile with a six-length margin. Illstandmyground (Nick Graffam) finished second, followed by Halifax (James Hardy).
Mothers Moni ($2.80) is a homebred for K R Breeding LLC and is trained by Domenico Cecere. He is four-for-eight lifetime following his sophomore debut win on Tuesday. The Massachusetts-bred is eligible to compete in the $3.2 million USD Massachusetts Breeders Stakes, which begins on Sept. 28.
In the undercard $34,722 Open 2 Handicap Trot, Big Box Hanover (Matty Athearn) took the lead from Ponda Rocky (Kevin Switzer Jr.) past the quarter in :27.4 and never looked back from there. After reaching the half in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:24.3, Big Box Hanover held off a fast-closing Heavens Pic (Mitchell Cushing) to win by a length in 1:53.3. Ponda Rocky finished third.
Big Box Hanover scored his third win of the campaign in 14 starts and is now 64-for-228 in his career. Larry Stalbaum owns and trains the nine-year-old Uncle Peter-Box Of Dreams gelding. Win backers received $9.60 for a base bet.
Driver Bruce Ranger was in the limelight all day at The Ridge with his hat trick at the lines. Aside from winning with the aforementioned Resolve To Win and Mothers Moni, Ranger closed out his triple with Signature By Lindy (1:56.1, $3.20), who was also trained by Domenico Cecere. Cecere led all trainers with a pair of wins on the nine-race card.
Racing resumes at Plainridge on Thursday at 4 p.m. There will be a $45,558 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in the sixth race.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)