In her first ever visit to Massachusetts, P L Notsonice set a new track record of 1:53.3 for four-year-old trotting mares at Plainridge Park after she won the $22,500 Winners-Over feature on Friday afternoon (Sept. 24).
P L Notsonice (Renaldo Morales III) got away fifth while a torrid first quarter of :26.3 was set by Big Rich (Kevin Switzer Jr.). When the half got backed down to :56.3, Northern Skyway (Shawn Gray) came rolling up the outside with P L Notsonice on his back.
Northern Skyway continued to gain ground on the leader and as the race proceeded through the last turn, he took the lead from Big Rich and P L Notsonice came up alongside him waiting for the lane. When they straightened out, P L Notsonice was under a full head of steam and barreled down the stretch to the wire on top by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:53.3.
The time was a new track, replacing the 1:54.2 clocking by Annie OK in 2017.
P L Notsonice ($2.60) bumped her 2021 earnings to $62,862 on the strength of her fourth win for owner Gratitude First and trainer Dale Gilmour.
In the $17,500 upper level conditioned trot Northern Sultan (Mike Stevenson), who was overlooked at 40-1, made a first-over bid just past the three-eighths and trotted side by side with the front-running Lexus Markus (Kevin Switzer Jr.) from the five-eighths all the way to the wire where he won by a head in a lifetime best 1:55.
Northern Sultan ($88.00) scored his fourth win of the year for owner/trainer Bill Krikorian.
When harness racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Sunday (Sept. 26) the $2.24 million (est.) Massachusetts Sire Stakes will kick off its 2021 series featuring three-year-olds of both gaits and sexes who will compete for $480,000 in purses. Post time for the first race is 2:00 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)