After following live cover from the half, Platinum AS got up in the shadow of the wire to win the $34,247 Open trotting feature at Plainridge Park on Monday (July 14) afternoon.
By The Book (Kevin Switzer Jr.) and Deadline Hall (Aaron Byron) traded leads through the :27.3 quarter with Deadline Hall settling on the front as they passed the stands the first time. A tepid :29.2 second panel forced action from behind and that came from A New Leader (Mitchell Cushing) who pulled first-over and brought Platinum AS (Drew Campbell) in tow with him.
A New Leader sidled Deadline Hall on the backstretch and the pair stepped off a snappy :27.3 third quarter before entering the turn. At the top of the final bend, Campbell tipped Platinum AS three-wide around the tiring A New Leader and had Deadline Hall in his sights. The two trotters battled to the line where Platinum AS got the nod by a nose in 1:54, tying his seasonal mark. Morning Edition (Shawn T Gray) rallied from last to be third.
It was the sixth win of the year for Platinum AS ($9.20) who is owned by FAC Racing, Brett Beckwith and Yannick Gingras. The seven-year-old gelded son of E L Titan-Jarette As is trained by Melissa Beckwith.
Earlier in the $29,767 upper-level conditioned trot, Sea Can was victorious on the strength of a career effort.
Sea Can (Nick Graffam) got away sixth as Snowpiercer (Drew Monti) took the field to the half in :55.4. Cruising Tom (Matty Athearn) pulled first-over and Sea Can followed as they trotted to three-quarters. As the race moved through the last turn, Graffam got Sea Can underway and put him in the middle of the track at the top of the stretch where he swelled up and flew home clear by 2-1/2 lengths to win in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.4.
Sea Can ($2.80) went over the $540,000 in lifetime earnings on the strength of his 24th career win. The six-year-old gelded son of Muscle Mass-SOS Respect is owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi.
Drivers Drew Campbell, Mitchell Cushing, Nick Graffam and Drew Monti and trainer Kathleen Brewer all had two wins apiece during the card on Monday.
On Sunday (July 20) Plainridge Park will host the biggest day of racing in New England when the Grand Circuit returns featuring the $250,000 USD Spirit of Massachusetts Trot and $100,000 USD Clara Barton Distaff Pace. Post time for this outstanding day of harness action gets underway at 2 p.m.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (July 15) at 4 p.m. and there will be a $14,106 USD carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in race six.
(With files from Plainridge Park)