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 (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 as Wild Bill Wyatt was locked in fourth at that point.
The race 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.
It was the sixth win of the year for Wild Bill Wyatt ($17.80) for owners Jeff Fought Racing of East Bernstadt, KY, Brian Carsey of Cambridge City, IN, and Adam Friedland of Brooklyn, NY. 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 barreled to his fourth victory in his last five starts.
Vintage Cheddar N (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 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, NY, in partnership with the VIP Internet Stable of Piscataway, NJ.
Vintage Cheddar N was only one of four wins for Mitchell Cushing on the card. He also won with Set Shot (1:51.1, $3.60), Mach Seelster (1:50.4, $5.60) and He's Coming On (1:51, $3.60) to round out his grand slam.
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 The Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)