The winners of co-featured $15,000 paces for starters that are six-year-old and under did stellar work on Thursday at Plainridge Park as they both registered career best clockings as a result of their efforts.
Sweet Sue (Jim Hardy) got away fifth behind a quick :26.1 pace set by Miss Trickster (Nick Graffam) and Woman In Gold N (Bruce Ranger). When that dust settled, Shes A Fireball (Ron Cushing) pulled from fourth in front of the stands and Hardy followed with Sweet Sue second over. Shes A Fireball took the lead at the five-eighths and Sweet Sue continued to attack from the outside. The two horses paced within a length of each other at three-quarters and two lengths clear of the field. At the top of the stretch, Sweet Sue drew even with Shes A Fireball before pulling ahead. She then held off a late lunge from Heavens Challenge (Shawn Gray) to win by a half-length margin in 1:52.2, which was a new lifetime mark.
Sweet Sue ($10.20) is a five-year-old daughter of Sweet Lou-Acey Deucey that has now earned $42,900 this year for owners David Thibault, Christine Thibault, Robert Withers and Julia Withers. Jolene Andrews trains the winner.
Hardy and Andrews combined for a total of two winners when the day was over.
Later in the card Rogerthat Bluechip (Drew Monti) made every step a winning one as he led from gate to wire. After taking the lead off the gate, Monti rated fractions of :26.1, :55.2 and 1:23.1 before the first challenge came when Tick’s A Yankin (Drew Campbell) reached his wheel on the rim followed by Twin B Jays (Nick Graffam). But with the heat starting to build, Rogerthat Bluechip shifted gears and opened up a 1-1/2 length gap on the challengers coming off the turn. Rogerthat Bluechip dug in for the stretch run and extended his lead to three lengths over pocket-sitting Touch Of Character (Steve Wilson) in mid-stretch. Monti wrapped him up at the line in 1:51.3, which beat his previous best work by a full second.
Rogerthat Bluechip ($5.00) is owned by Martin Budkey and Michael Goldberg Racing. Jeff Lieberman trains the winner. The four-year-old gelded son of Captaintreacherous-Ramalama has now earned $50,286 in 2021.
Monti ended up with three winners on the card.
The husband and wife team of driver Shawn Gray and trainer Alicia Gray put on quite a display of their stable’s ability on Thursday after sending three horses to the winner’s enclosure and all three took new lifetime marks. Spicytuna Bluechip ($5.60, 1:55.1), Acup O Joe Hanover ($4.20, 1:55.3) and Althea ($6.40, 1:53.2) highlighted their day.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday (July 16) at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)