Despite making two moves by the half, Mach Doro A took control of the race from there and stormed home the best in the $14,000 Winners-Over Handicap pace at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon.
Starting from post eight, Mach Doro A (Mitchell Cushing) left and settled in third to the quarter in :26.3. That placement was short lived as Cushing pulled in front of an advancing outer-flow in front of the grandstand and was back in the breeze chasing Captain Deo (Shawn Gray) by the half in :55.1.
Moving around the second, turn Mach Doro A continued advancing towards the lead and got it on the backstretch after a brutally fast :26.1 third panel. Unfazed by the pace, Cushing tucked the whip and line-drove Mach Doro A around the last turn and down the stretch where he cruised home to victory in 1:50.1.
The clocking was a new lifetime mark for the winner.
Mach Doro A now has seven wins in 16 starts this year and $79,120 in the bank accounts of owners Kevin Sywyk, Ron Cushing and Frank Ranaldi. Heidi Gibbs trains the eight-year-old altered son of Mach Three-Three Eagles.
Cushing also won the $12,000 upper-level conditioned pace with Fernleigh Rebel N who left from post five and led at every station during the mile before breaking the beam in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2. Fernleigh Rebel N ($4.60) is owned by Raymond Ferguson and is trained by Bryant Sears.
Cushing continued to work hard on Labor Day scoring two more wins with I Am Golden (1:54, $4.80) and JJ Shark (1:52.3, $13.40) to round out his driving grand slam.
The second leg of the $10,000 two-year-old trotting series ‘The Wood End Light’ was held on Monday and produced an historic result.
Capital Comet (Drew Monti) tripped-out third for the first five-eighths of the mile and then pulled first-up before the three-quarter pole. From there the colt trotted right by My Blue Opal (Jay Randall) in the turn and pulled away to a wrapped-up 5-3/4 length win in 1:57.4.
The time was a new lifetime mark for Capital Comet and also tied the track record for two-year-old trotting colts set by French Moni in 2016.
Capital Comet ($3.60) is owned by Lindy Farms of Connecticut, Robert Rudolf and the M Biasuzzi Stable. Domenico Cecere trains Capital Comet.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday with post time at 2 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)