Ontario Sires Stakes graduate Sea Can shipped to Plainridge Park on Thursday, July 25 and took a new lifetime mark while winning the $30,822 Open Handicap trotting feature on the afternoon card.
Sea Can (Nick Graffam) got away fifth as Marquis Lafayette (Bruce Ranger) rushed to the front to lead the field. After stopping the clock in :27 and :55.2 at the half before heading into turn two, Marquis Lafayette maintained a gapped advantage to three-quarters before the field began to bunch. Malibu Kid (Drew Campbell) pulled from third and drew alongside the pocket-sitting Big Al M (Matty Athearn) while Sea Can followed the outside cover from second-over.
Halfway through the last turn, Malibu Kid made a break and Sea Can went three-wide around him. Marquis Lafayette then took his lead into the stretch as Sea Can and Big Al M trotted in tandem, only a length behind in chase. As they made their way down the lane, Marquis Lafayette then made a break, leaving Sea Can with the lead, who then trotted under wraps to the line on top by a length and with a new career clocking of 1:53.3.
It was the fifth win of the year for Sea Can ($5.00) who is owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and trained by Joe Nelson.
In the $27,397 conditioned trot for six-year-olds and under, the Massachusetts-bred and MASS-eligible Intl Blockade (Bruce Ranger) made a first-over move from fourth just past the half, in chase of the front-running Cruising Tom (Matty Athearn) who was marching sharply to three-quarters in 1:26.2. Intl Blockade drew within one length of the leader at that station and continued to cut into his lead around the last turn. At the top of the stretch the two trotters were dead even and battled all the way to the line where Intl Blockade got a one-half length advantage and won in 1:55.
It was the fourth win in a row for Intl Blockade ($9.00) who is owned by Lindy Farms of Connecticut and trained by Domenico Cecere.
It was one of two wins for Ranger on Thursday, however Matty Athearn was the leading driver of the day after winning three races on the card, two of which were trained by Jimmy Nickerson who led all trainers for victories during the afternoon.
Live racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday, July 29 with post time at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)