It wasn't an easy trip to say the least, but pacer ER Griffin was up to the task and won the $34,247 Baystate Starter Allowance that headlined the card at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Call Me Maverick and driver Shawn Gray grabbed the lead and parked out ER Griffin and Matty Athearn past the :26 quarter before releasing them to the front. But Gray immediately pulled the right line and 2-1 favourite Call Me Maverick was back out and around ER Griffin to reclaim the lead.
After the pacers sped to the half in :53.4, Always A Miki and Brett Beckwith pulled first-over from fourth to approach the leaders and got to second at the 1:22.2 three-quarters mark before starting to fade. That left Call Maverick back in control until the top of the stretch, where ER Griffin tipped off cover and was in full flight, matching strides with Call Me Maverick all the way to deep stretch. And just before the line, ER Griffin forged to the lead by a head and won in 1:51.2. Anvil Hands (James Hardy), last week's winner, closed from last to nab third, two lengths behind.
The win was the fourth of the year in 25 starts for ER Griffin, who is owned by his trainer, Mike Eaton, in partnership with Bob McHugh, Robert Griffin and Russell Young, all of Massachusetts. The five-year-old Riggins-Susie Girl gelding, who was third in this class a week ago, paid $9.60 to win as the 5-2 second choice.
Earlier in the $27,397 Baystate Starter Allowance, Varney ($9.60) and Mitchell Cushing got away sixth before pulling third-over at the half in pursuit of Sweet Street Lou and Wally Watson, who got to that station in :54.1. Varney tipped three-deep at the 1:22.1 three-quarters mark and made his way to third at the head of the stretch. From there, Varney caught the leader and held off PL Pasquale (Brett Beckwith) and Danger Zone (Drew Monti) to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:52. Varney, a six-year-old Huntsville-Shanghai Lil gelding, is owned by Maine's Eddie Fournier Jr. and Brian Lamb, who also trains the winner.
Kevin Switzer Jr. registered a driving hat trick on Tuesday while 10 different trainers each won one race apiece.
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)