Swedish Starlet N scored her 10th win of 2024 after going gate to wire in the $34,722 Open Handicap pace for fillies and mares at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 6).
Handicapped from post nine, Swedish Starlet N left hard for Matty Athearn and grabbed the front, going to the quarter in :26.2. After reaching the half in :55.3, Quarrel (Bruce Ranger) pulled from third and advanced first-over in the breeze to draw within a length of Swedish Starlet N at three-quarters in 1:23.4. The two mares matched strides around the last turn and into the stretch. Seaside Tina (Jay Randall), who rode the pocket the whole trip, joined Quarrel in pursuit of the leader, but Swedish Starlet N refused to lose and tripped the light on top by one-half length in 1:51.3.
Swedish Starlet N ($3.80) pushed her annual earnings to $158,194 for owners Tim Bojarski and Tony Gruppo. Jimmy Nickerson trains the six-year-old Mach Three-Top Of The Pile mare.
Earlier in the $22,222 conditioned event for five-year-olds and under, Social Drinker (Brett Beckwith) left hard and stepped lively on the point as he cruised through quarters of :27.1, :56 and 1:23.3, that third quarter in :27.3 on the pressure supplied by Favorable Draw (Bruce Ranger) who had come first-over. When they turned for home, Andy Mac Hanover (Matty Athearn) found room at the pylons and charged hard to the line. But Social Drinker stayed on task to win by a head in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.4.
The win was the fourth win of the year for Social Drinker ($3.40), who is owned by Glenn Goller and Stephen Demeter and trained by Mark Beckwith.
Team Beckwith topped both the driver and trainer categories on Tuesday. Brett had three driving wins, two of which were trained by Mark.
Live racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday (Aug. 8) with post time at 4 p.m. and the card will feature a $776 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 in race six.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)