Lous Starr braved punishing early fractions en route to a dominating 1:49 performance in the $18,310 Open Handicap Pace at Rosecroft Raceway on Monday, Sept 21, pacing into the Maryland harness racing venue's record books.
With Corey Braden at the helm for trainer Scott Warnick, Lous Starr rated in the two-path as Icaco Hanover (Russell Foster) worked clear of Babes All In (Shane Griffith) through a :26.4 first quarter. Lous Starr got his cue to advance with a lap to go and the four-year-old son of Sweet Lou-Amantha Starr scorched a :53.1 half after pushing clear to lead before the clubhouse turn.
Once on top, Lous Starr faced nary a challenge, drawing clear steadily to defeat Icaco Hanover by 5-1/4 lengths and take two-fifths of a second off the previous track record for four-year-old pacing horses, set in 1996 by U.S. Hall of Fame racehorse and three-time Dan Patch Award winner Jennas Beach Boy.
Dontmesswithless (Roger Plante Jr.) rallied from last to finish third, a farther 1-3/4 lengths in arrears.
Daniel Chansky owns 23-time winner Lous Starr, who has earned 11 of his victories this year to push his lifetime bankroll to $314,399.
He paid $2.60 to win as the overwhelming 1-5 favourite.
Earlier on the program, Starship reached a career milestone when he circled three-wide into the far turn and lifted to just collar Precision Bluechip (Lucas Myers) for a 1:53.3 score in a $10,915 conditioned pace, marking his 50th lifetime victory.
Jonathan Roberts drove the nine-year-old Captaintreacherous-Lifetime Star gelding for owner/trainer Bib Roberts. A career winner of $556,388 from 250 starts, Starship has hit the board in a total of 132 of his races.
Starship paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favourite.
A quintet of $14,085 first-round Maryland Sire Stakes preliminary events for three-year-olds served as supporting races.
Drivers Russell Foster and Johnathan Ahle both scored stakes doubles. Foster won with pacing filly More Than Better (1:56.1, $2.10) for trainer Herman Hagerman and pacing gelding Better Gon (1:55.4, $2.20) for trainer Adrian Wisher Jr., while Ahle won with trotting gelding Booger Bear (1:59.3, non-wagering) for trainer Richard Hans and trotting filly Thatsloveto (1:57.2, non-wagering) for trainer Dominik Miga.
Trotting filly Progressivekathy (1:58.3, non-wagering) was the other Sire Stakes winner, with William Carter at the controls for trainer Ron Millman.
The top point earners in each division through two preliminary legs will meet for their respective $100,000 USD series finals as part of the Maryland Showcase of Champions program on Sunday, Oct. 11.
Racing returns to Rosecroft on Thursday, Sept. 24, with the first round of the fall Maryland Sire Stakes series for two-year-olds. A pair of non-wagering events will take place beginning at 6 p.m., followed by a 14-race pari-mutuel card beginning at 7:15 p.m. The carryover for the 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5, offered in the last race, now stands at $3,418.08.
(With files from Rosecroft Raceway)