College Tuition and driver Russell Foster sealed a second consecutive front-end win to take one of the co-featured dashes on Thursday, Sept. 25 at Rosecroft Raceway.
In the $12,329 overnight event, slight second choice College Tuition set fractions of :27.4, :58.2 and 1:27 with double millionaire and favourite JL Cruze (Jonathan Roberts) in behind, then turned on the jets late to evade their pocket rival by a diminishing nose in 1:55.1. Courtney Foster trains the seven-year-old Donato Hanover gelding, who paid $3.60 to win as the 4-5 second choice, for owner/breeder Eric Foster. He's now a 27-time career winner with nearly $400,000 in earnings.
Roger Plante Jr. was the sulky-sitting kingpin on the day, leading all drivers with four wins on the 13-race card and capturing the co-featured $12,329 top-level conditioned pace for fillies and mares with Dice Dice Baby.
Sent off the 4-5 favourite, Dice Dice Baby sprinted clear of Maleficent K (Mark Gray) through a :26.3 first quarter before travelling unopposed through middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.2. The seven-year-old Rockincam mare switched gears off the corner for home, using a :28.4 closing quarter to cap a 2-1/4-length, 1:53.1 win over Strawberry Fields (Justin Vincent), who rallied for second at 64-1 over a tiring Maleficent K.
William Cox trains Dice Dice Baby, who competes as a homebred for Michael Somerville and paid $3.60 to win. She's now a 21-time winner in her career with $194,155 in purses.
Plante also won with Howard Birney trainee Mazal ($4.20, 1:55), Andrew Fulton trainee Miramichi Alanna ($8.60, 1:54.1), and his own Oh Ophelia ($3.40, 1:55).
Live harness racing at Rosecroft resumes Monday, Sept. 29 with the second preliminary round of Maryland Sire Stakes for two-year-olds taking centre stage. A four-race non-wagering stakes program will begin at 5:30 p.m.; the main 13-race pari-mutuel card will begin at 7:15 p.m. The 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5, offered in race 10, boasts a carryover of $2,081.97.
(with files from Rosecroft)