For the second week in a row, Wild Bill Wyatt used a favourable trip to set a lifetime mark at Plainridge Park and on Monday, Aug. 17, he did it in the featured $34,722 Open Pace.
Wild Bill Wyatt, driven by Mike Oosting, sat third at the start as Jackson Cooper (Bruce Ranger) set fast early fractions of :26 and :54.4 to the half. With Rocknroll Runa A (Larry Stalbaum) in the pocket and So Rock N Roll (Kevin Switzer Jr.) first-over on the outside, Jackson Cooper continued to lead at three-quarters in 1:21.2 as Wild Bill Wyatt was locked in fourth at that point.
The field made its way around the final turn and Jackson Cooper and So Rock N Roll were still toe to toe, but Wild Bill Wyatt saw the outside open up and pulled from fourth. As the group spun into the stretch, Wild Bill Wyatt moved clear to the middle of the track and imposed his will on the leaders and took the top by a quarter length at the line and won in a career best 1:49.1. So Rock N Roll was second, with Soho Spectre A (Brett Beckwith) third.
The win was the sixth of the year in 18 starts for Wild Bill Wyatt ($17.80), who is owned by Jeff Fought Racing of East Bernstadt, Kentucky, Brian Carsey of Cambridge City, Indiana and Adam Friedland of Brooklyn, New York. Mike Eaton trains the winning four-year-old gelded son of Sweet Lou-Perplexed.
A race earlier in the $27,778 upper-level conditioned pace, Vintage Cheddar N found room late and barrelled to his fourth victory in his last five starts.
Vintage Cheddar N, driven by Mitchell Cushing, got away fifth as Virtual Horizon (Drew Monti) took the lead from Kill A Dragon (Brett Beckwith) at the :26.4 quarter. Positions remained unchanged to the :55.4 half until an outer flow led by Tenzing Bromac N (Ron Cushing) formed, where Vintage Cheddar N was third-over in the breeze.
Tenzing Bromac N edged past Virtual Horizon as they passed three-quarters in 1:22.4 and paced clear to the front at the head of the stretch. But Vintage Cheddar N swung three-wide into the middle of the stretch and flew past Tenzing Bromac N and opened up two lengths at the line where he won in 1:50.3.
Vintage Cheddar N ($4.60) is owned by his trainer, Amanda Kelley of Greenfield Center, New York, in partnership with the VIP Internet Stable of Piscataway, New Jersey.
Vintage Cheddar N was only one of four wins for Mitchell Cushing on the card.
Benson Merrill was top trainer with two wins on Monday's program.
Racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 4 p.m.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)