Plainridge Park’s leading driver, Nick Graffam, extended his lead in the dash-winning title race on Thursday, Aug. 28 when he won five races on the 11-race slate, including a grand slam to start off the proceedings.
The reinsman completed his five by steering Sea Can to victory in the $31,250 featured conditioned trot. Sea Can grabbed the lead from his pylon position start and led the entire mile. With Wall Street Edge (Brett Beckwith) following closely, Sea Can hung up panels of :27, :56.3, and 1:24.4 before rounding the last turn. Wall Street Edge tried to gain in the stretch but came up three-quarters-of-a-length short as Sea Can scored in 1:54. International Law (Shawn Gray) completed the triactor.
Sea Can ($3.60) has won six of 18 starts this year for owners by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The Joe Nelson trainee, a six-year-old gelded son of Muscle Mass-Sos Respect, is now 26-for-92 lifetime with $571,754 in earnings.
Graffam won the pre-card non-betting $17,361 Romper Room for two-year-old pacers with Forwhomthebelltolls in 1:55.4. The daughter of Huntsville-Lightning Ride broke his maiden by a neck for trainer George Ducharme and owner The Ok Corral.
The reinsman then kicked off a sweep of the first three pari-mutuel races by taking the $17,361 Romper Room division for rookie trotters with Fairytale Moni ($4.40). The filly, also trained by Ducharme, took her first career win by a neck in 1:58.1 for George Ducharme Stable LLC, Jim Winske, Jason Ash, and Salvatore Vullo.
Graffam's other winners in the card-starting triple were Treacherous Idol (1:56.2, $3) and Bill Bauer (1:54.3, $4.20). The driver doubled his lead over Beckwith in the standings and now holds an 86-78 advantage. He has won at a 16.4 per cent rate this year with 141 victories across all tracks.
In addition to their feature victory, Nelson and the Burke connections also won the sub-featured pace, $27,778 upper-level conditioned event for fillies and mares with Intothemysticmoon. Grabbing the lead in the first quarter for Kevin Switzer Jr., Intothemysticmoon set fractions of :26.1, :55.3, and 1:23.2 while Seaside Tina (Mitchell Cushing) sat the pocket. In the lane, the Seaside Tina battled, but Intothemysticmoon turned her away by a half-length to win in 1:51.3. Checkpoint Chatter (James Hardy) was third.
The winning six-year-old daughter of Artspeak-Mystical Moon is now four-for-28 this year. Intothemysticmoon ($10.80) is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Phillip Collura.
Nelson, Ducharme, Paul Kelley, and Cushing, were all members of the Thursday two-win trainers club.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday, Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. with a $2,771 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in Race 6. The new 2 p.m. post time will be in effect through the end of October.
(With files from Plainridge Park)