Winning half of the dashes on a program of racing, including an Open, would make any reinsman happy every single time.
That scenario was reality on Tuesday, July 21 at Running Aces, as driver Luke Plano won four of the eight races on the live program. Plano’s haul included a victory in the card’s featured $8,000 Open Pace.
Plano worked out an ideal two-hole trip for Coopers Beach in the Open. He followed the heavily-favoured Headsup Yankee (driven by Nick Roland) until the head of the stretch and then held off fellow closers Quality Sport (Tony Succarotte) and Its Getting Hairy (Gerry Longo) by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.1.
Coopers Beach, a six-year-old Western Ideal gelding, took a life mark of 1:50.2 at Pompano Park earlier this year, but had been languishing in claiming races at Hoosier Park of late until moving to Running Aces a month ago. Owned by Plano’s mother, Maryann, and partners John Darrah and Lawrence Keethe, Coopers Beach now has two wins in addition to a place and a show finish in his first four starts in Minnesota.
Plano also guided Forceful Gale to an impressive front-stepping 1:57 victory in a $5,500 top-condition trot, besting Margin Call (Rick Magee) and Evolution Of Dance (Dean Magee). Jeff Brewer trains the six-year-old Strong Gale gelding for owner Ann Wrobbel.
Plano stablemates Stylemaster (1:56.1) and Up Town Watts (1:55.3) copped the final two races on the card, giving the pilot four wins on the night and running his total to nine in the last four nights. Stylemaster is owned by Nikki Hudson, while K C Carvalho became new owner of Up Town Watts via the claim box one week ago.
A single winning 50-cent Pick 6 ticket was sold, with the astute handicapper scoring a handsome $1,957.65 return.
(Running Aces)