Black Hope sprinted from the pocket to register 1:56 victory in the $31,250 Open Handicap Trot on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at Harrington Raceway.
Longshot Dyladmar (Russell Foster) set the tempo, leaving the gate hard from post three to produce fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:25.4. Somebody Special (Art Stafford Jr.) headed up the outer tier, followed by Baby Bob (Ross Wolfenden), while Black Hope and Brandon Givens awaited racing room in the pocket. The field bunched on the final turn with the leader tiring and Black Hope charging through down the passing lane for his 4th win of the season in 23 starts by a length. Baby Bob was second with a dead heat between Arrowhead Hanover (Troy Beyer) and Speed Away (Corey Callahan) for third.
Trained by Les Givens, Black Hope took his 24th career win in 118 starts. David Hamm and Frank Chick own the seven-year-old Bar Hopping-Blacksirenpedia gelding. Win tickets returned $12. The win was the first of three on the 12-race card for Brandon Givens.
Topflight Champion registered his seventh win in a row in 1:58.4 in a conditioned event with trainer Eddie Dennis at the lines. The recent Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final winner continued his streak against older horses, circling three-wide off :29.4, 1:00 and 1:29.3 fractions to win by a half-length in 1:58.4 over Bucky Highway (Ross Wolfenden). Lovies Place (Art Stafford Jr.) was third.
The Top Flight Angel-Js Foxy Lady colt has banked $211,852 lifetime with 12 wins from 19 outings. He is 10-for-13 this season for owners E&K Stable Inc. and Robert Nibblett Jr. The win price was $3.60.
Mark and Betsy Lucas’ Fd Pure Platinum ($89.40, Jason Green) lit up the toteboard with a wire-to-wire win at 43-1 in the sixth race. The five-year-old E L Platinum-Lady Andi mare, trained by Lucas, notched her second win of the season in 18 outings.
(With files from Harrington Raceway)