Still Rollin N, a solid competitor against the best pacers at Plainridge Park since the end of May, produced a stellar win against those types in the featured $34,722 Open Handicap Pace on Monday, Aug. 10 on the strength of a career-best mile.
Still Rollin N (Matty Athearn) got away fifth and watched three early lead changes that left Southpaw (Jimmy Whittemore) in control passing the :27 first quarter. Southpaw then backed down the half to :55 before Still Rollin N moved first-up in the breeze, forcing a quickened pace of 1:22.3 to three-quarters.
Positions remained unchanged through the final bend, but at the top of the stretch, Still Rollin N imposed his will on the field as he pulled away by 1-1/2 lengths and won in 1:49.4, which was a new lifetime mark. Soho Spectre A (Brett Beckwith) took second over Southpaw.
Still Rollin N ($11.20) is owned by his trainer, Amanda Kelley, in partnership with VIP Internet Stable LLC. The six-year-old gelded son of Rock N Roll Heaven-Still Laughin is 15-for-37 lifetime.
In the $30,556 upper-level conditioned pace, Wild Bill Wyatt (Mike Oosting) got away second behind Kill A Dragon (Brett Beckwith), who set the tempo with fractions of :26.1 and :55.1, dealing with T H Tyson (Bruce Ranger) who was parked-out and edged ahead at three-quarters in 1:22.1. The horses stacked up as they made their way onto the stretch, where Wild Bill Wyatt left his cover and paced clear by 1-1/4 lengths to win in career-best 1:49.4.
Wild Bill Wyatt ($9.60) is owned by Jeff Fought Racing, Brian Carsey and Adam Friedland and trained by Mike Eaton. The win was the ninth in 46 career starts for the four-year-old Sweet Lou-Perplexed gelding.
The lightning-fast five-eighths-mile speed strip at Plainridge Park has produced several records this year, and on Monday, the track played host to 10 lifetime marks out of the 11 races on the card.
Quentin Quarantino (1:50.4), Mach Seelster (1:50.2), Hollywood Skeeter (1:50.1), Wild Bill Wyatt, Idealofaday (1:50.1), Still Rollin N, Makorori N (1:49.1), Virtual Horizon (1:49.4), Instant Replay (1:50.2) and Dance Monkey (1:50.4) all had career-best outings during the afternoon.
Mike Oosting had a hat trick in the bike on Monday while 11 different trainers won one race apiece.
Racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)