Overcast skies and a rain-laden track were the conditions to be dealt with on Monday (July 10) at Plainridge Park, but speedy miles were the call of the day for the many trotters that went postward with the fastest of the group posted by Marquis Lafayette, who notched a new lifetime mark while winning the featured $25,000 Open for the diagonal gaited.
Bruce Ranger rolled Marquis Lafayette off the gate and reached the front at the :27.4 quarter before crossing over to the pylons. From there, he led comfortably to the half while Esa (Heath Campbell) tracked from second and Delayed Hanover (Jay Randall) started moving up the outside, but three lengths in arrears. Delayed Hanover continued to grind in the breeze and got even with Esa for second, but was still gapped from the leader. That’s because Marquis Lafayette tossed in a :27.1 third quarter and was under a full head of steam rounding the last bend. As the race entered the stretch, Marquis Lafayette continued to trot towards victory while keeping Delayed Hanover at bay and won by a length in 1:52.1, which was his fastest career timing.
The win was the third in the last four starts, all in the top class at Plainridge Park, for Marquis Lafayette ($6) and the winner’s share pushed his lifetime earnings to $209,850. Greathorse owns the Massachusetts-bred gelding, who is trained by Domenico Cecere.
Marquis Lafayette was the third win of a natural hat trick for driver Bruce Ranger, who won the sixth, seventh and eighth races.
The secondary feature was the $20,000 conditioned trot that Echo De Meautis Fr won in handy fashion.
Nick Graffam pushed Echo De Meautis Fr off the gate and to a two-length advantage at the :28.2 quarter. From there, the trotter got things his own way, hitting the half in :58, before receiving a challenge from Breckenridge (Heath Campbell), who pushed a fast :27.2 three-quarters while closing within one-half length of the leader. As they spun into the turn, Echo De Meautis Fr responded to the pressure by opening up a two-length advantage heading into the stretch, where he trotted home to an easy 1-1/2 length win in 1:54.2, missing his lifetime mark by only one-fifth of a second.
The win was the fifth of the year from 17 starts for Echo De Meautis Fr ($13.20), who is owned by Archie McNeil and Joshua Graber. Melissa Beckwith was the winning conditioner.
Nick Graffam had a big day in the bike, getting a grand slam during the afternoon and he was joined by Matty Athearn, who also had four winners, making all 11 races won by only three drivers.
Gretchen Athearn was the hot trainer on Monday and watched three of her students win in lifetime best clockings. Toodles Hanover (1:52, $10.40) took a new mark while Twoscoopsforjack (1:55.1, $16.60) and Replica Hanover (1:55.2, $7.20) matched their existing career bests.
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and there will be a $3,780 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race six.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)