For the third week in a row, Dandys Evrlasting came from the back of the pack and scored another impressive victory in the $25,000 Fillies and Mares Winners-Over Handicap pacing feature at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 24).
Assigned post eight, Matty “Ice” Athearn took Dandys Evrlasting off the gate to last while Our Lady Lara A (Brett Beckwith) and Booraa N (Ron Cushing) traded leads by the time they reached the half in :55.2. As Booraa N marched the field up the backstretch, Westbeach (Bruce Ranger) went first-over and was followed by Always Watching (Jordan Derue) and Shallow (Nick Graffam). As the race spiraled into the last turn, Dandys Evrlasting left the pylons and moved fourth-over in the outer flow, but was still four lengths from the top. Heading into the turn, Always Watching tipped three-deep and Dandys Evrlasting swung four-wide around her. With the entire field now only three lengths apart, Athearn aggressively urged Dandys Evrlasting down the lane and to the wire where she gained the advantage by one-quarter length in 1:52.1.
It was the ninth win of the year for Dandys Evrlasting ($12.80) and all at Plainridge Park for owners Dandy Farms and Ft. Racing Stable. Jimmy Nickerson was the winning trainer.
Athearn ended the day with a driving hat trick while Nickerson scored a double.
Earlier in the $17,500 conditioned event for younger horses, Rooster Bennett also made it three wins in a row and set a new personal best clocking in the process.
Rooster Bennett (Brett Beckwith) got away fifth as Rodman (Matty Athearn) took the group to the half in :54.3. Heading up the backstretch, Sandpiper N (Nick Graffam) drew alongside Rodman while Rooster Bennett got underway from fifth and joined the leaders at three-quarters. There, Rooster Bennett tipped three-wide and matched strides with Rodman and Sandpiper N all the way around the turn. As they straightened out for the drive, Rooster Bennett took the lead and kept the rest at bay all the way to the line where he won in 1:52.1, which was a new lifetime mark.
The Massachusetts-bred Rooster Bennett ($6.60), who was the Massachusetts Sire Stakes two-year-old male pacing champion last year, is trained and owned by Nancy Longobardi in partnership with Domenic Longobardi.
Rooster Bennett will be competing in the three-year-old colt and gelding division of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes this year which starts on Monday, Sept. 25 at Plainridge Park.
Brett Beckwith, Nick Graffam and Jimmy Hardy all had driving doubles during the afternoon.
There was a huge payout in the sixth race Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta on Thursday. The combination of 5-6-2-3-9 returned $18,375.68 for a 20-cent wager.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday (Aug. 28) at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)