Trainer Jeff Cullipher was tough to beat at Plainridge Park on Monday, Aug. 4 and proof of that was a pair of his students owned by Pollack Racing who won the top two featured paces of the week.
In the $34,722 Open Handicap, Rockin On Venus remained undefeated in Massachusetts after winning his third straight at The Ridge.
Bruce Ranger pushed Rockin On Venus to the front and set soft fractions of :27.1 and :55.4 to the half. That brought Grey Horizon (Matty Athearn) first-over to hasten the pace with a :27 flat third panel. But that didn't phase the leader at all as Rockin On Venus rounded the final bend and turned for home well in command to close it out with a 1-1/2-length victory in 1:50.3 over Pirate Hanover (Aaron Byron) and Vintage Cheddar N (Mitchell Cushing). The winning seven-year-old son of Rockin Image-Venus Killean returned $5.20.
In the $31,250 upper level conditioned pace, Spring Inhis Step A (Brett Beckwith) muscled his way to the lead and posted quarters of :26.2, :55 and 1:22 while Blazing Home N (Larry Stalbaum) and Fourever Boy (Shawn Gray) stalked him the entire time. After coming off the last turn, Spring Inhis Step A remained in control and put away all the competition in the stretch and won by 1-1/2 lengths in a seasonal-best time of 1:49.2. Blazing Home N held for second, with Fourever Boy finishing in third. The winning eight-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere-Summa Of Dreams paid $3.20.
Drivers Brett Beckwith and Bruce Ranger both had hat tricks at the lines on Monday.
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 4 p.m.
(With files from The Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts; photo of Rockin On Venus from a previous win)