Torrid Saint A went the mile of his life as he wired the field in the $33,784 Open Handicap pacing feature at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Aug. 27) afternoon.
Matty Athearn wasted no time getting the lead with Torrid Saint A and settled on the point en route to a :26.3 quarter. He then took the field to a :55 half where Alex Having Fun (Brett Beckwith) pulled first over and brought Big Skewy N (Drew Monti) with him, while Gandolf The Black (Bruce Ranger) tracked from the pocket.
Torrid Saint A blew up the backstretch in :27 and refused to let anyone closer than a length away as they made their way into the far turn. When they entered the stretch, five horses were within striking range, but Torrid Saint A closed out the mile on top by a half length over Gandolf The Black and stopped the timer in 1:50.1, which was a new lifetime mark.
The win was the 23rd career win for Torrid Saint A ($42.80) and it pushed his lifetime earnings to $480,022. The nine-year-old gelded son of Shadow Play-Torridon is owned by Joe Trice and trained by Jimmy Nickerson.
Athearn ended the day with a hat trick in the bike.
Earlier in the $27,027 upper level conditioned pace, Alluneedisfaith N (Shawn Gray) returned from a 38-day hiatus to upset the full field of eight.
After Slip The Hundy (Jay Randall) led the field through swift fractions of :26.3, :55 and 1:22.3, Alluneedisfaith N entered the last turn in seventh before swinging five wide at the top of the stretch, where he blew by everyone in deep stretch and won by a nose in 1:51.3, which was a new seasonal mark.
Alluneedisfaith N ($30.20) is owned by Douglas Overhiser and Alicia Gray, who also trains the winner.
Brett Beckwith led all drivers on Tuesday after scoring a grand slam on the card. Beckwith won with JK Will Power (1:52, $2.60), Tack Room Chatter (1:50.2, $3.80), Major Betts (1:51.3, $9.40) and Frank Deford (2:22.3, $41.80).
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday (Aug. 29) with post time at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)