After winning in a seasonal best time just last week, Dial A Chic moved up in class and came right back to the winner’s circle, winning the $12,000 Winners Over trotting feature at Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon (August 7).
Dial A Chic (Joe Di Stefano) settled in third from the pylons off the gate while stablemate Jericho (Mitchell Cushing) hit the quarter first in :28.1. Di Stefano quickly pulled Dial A Chic in front of the stands and made his way up the rim, eventually pulling alongside Jericho past the half.
Jericho and Dial A Chic trotted stride for stride up the backstretch, around the far turn and halfway down the stretch before Dial A Chic was finally able to wrangle the lead away from Jericho and then hold of late drives by Uknow What To Do (Nick Graffam) and Namesmuscle (Mark Athearn) to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:56.
Dial A Chic ($18.20) is owned by the Di Stefano and Son Stable and is trained by John Di Stefano.
The co-featured $12,000 trot for six-year-olds and under was the scene of a huge upset when Dixie Slippers (Wally Watson) mounted a late rally from third-over at the three-quarters to collar the front-running Mad Dog (John Beckwith) and Just Dreamin (Mike Stevenson) at the wire to win by a head in 1:56.3 at 56-1.
It was the first win of the year and a lifetime mark for Dixie Slippers ($115.20), who is owned by John and Susan Muldoon and trained by Lisa Watson.
The fastest two trots of the day went to Shake A Leg (Jay Randall/Jimmy Nickerson 1:54.4, $6.60) and Chav Hanover (Steve Nason/Nicole Nason 1:55.4, $4.80), both of which were new lifetime marks.
And the most noteworthy victory on the all-trot card came when the venerable Roadshow Vic ($6.20) scored his 50th lifetime win for owner/trainer Mike Cushing when his nephew Mitchell Cushing, pulled from fourth at the three-quarters and exploded down the lane to catch Muscana (Bruce Ranger) and win by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.1. The time was a seasonal new mark and the fastest race the 13-year-old has gone in two years.
In an interesting occurrence, nine different drivers and nine different trainers won a race during the nine-race card.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday (Aug. 10) with post time at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)