A $10,000 conditioned race for the five-year-old and under group on each gait topped the Thursday holiday card at Plainridge Park and the respective winners registered career-best efforts in victory.
In the $10,000 trot, Refi (Drew Monti) remained undefeated this year after getting his third straight win in gate to wire fashion. Refi opened up a two-length advantage on the point and then went :27.4, :57.1 and 1:26 before turning for home and stretching out to a six-length lead under no urging at all to win in 1:54.4, besting his previous career record of 1:56.1.
A three-year-old son of Chapter Seven-Blazing Musclegirl, Refi ($7.80) is owned by Lindy Farms of Connecticut and Robert Rudolf. Domenico Cecere trains the winner.
Then in the $10,000 pace, Pokerface Bluechip (Mitchell Cushing) also went start to finish on the front while setting fractions of :27, :56.2 and 1:24.1 before smoking a final panel in :27.3 to score an easy one-length win in 1:51.4. The time was also a new lifetime mark, smashing his old one by more than two seconds.
Now boasting $36,540 on the card for the year, Pokerface Bluechip ($3.40) is owned by William Hartt and is trained by Lance Hudson.
Mitchell Cushing and Drew Monti both had three wins on the card to lead all drivers on Thursday, however Shawn Gray and Drew Campbell became very close during the afternoon as they were both involved in two dead heats with each other during the proceedings.
The first came in the third race where Stroman (Gray) and Downwyn Shark (Campbell) could not be separated by the camera for place and the second was in the 10th race when Northern Sportsman (Gray) and Makin’ A Move (Campbell) hit the wire simultaneously for the win.
The ever-growing Wicked Hi-5 Pentafecta pool continues to grow as no one could select the winning combination in either the sixth or ninth race again today. As a result, there will be a $27,699 carryover pool for the sixth race on Friday when live racing resumes at Plainridge Park. Post time for the first race on Friday is 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)