Blue Knight made it look easy as he rolled to a coast-to-coast victory in the $25,000 Open Handicap Trot at Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon (Sept. 3).
Ivan Davies put Blue Knight on the point and controlled the race from there. After soft fractions of :28.1 and :57.1, Blue Knight and stablemate Midnite Craze (Drew Campbell) were two lengths ahead of the field. As the race made its way up the backstretch, the top pair extended their gapped lead to three, and it was clear it had become a two-horse race. After rounding the turn, Campbell pulled Midnight Craze for one last push, but Blue Knight was too sharp and pulled away under light urging to a 1-1/4-length win in 1:54.4.
It was the fifth win in the last eight starts - all at Plainridge - for Blue Knight ($4.20) and owner Richard Mason. Davies also trains the winner.
Theresademoninme recorded a milestone win in the $15,000 upper-level conditioned trot as the hard-fought victory he earned was the 50th of his career.
Shawn Gray took a quick gapped lead as Overserved (Jay Randall) and Massive Lightning (Nick Graffam) both made breaks after the start. The short field of six was now down to four, and Gray took full advantage of that with a :57.2 half. Marquis Lafayette (Bruce Ranger), who had been drafting second, pulled first-over and prompted Theresademoninme to three-quarters. He drew even around the last turn and the two trotted toe-to-toe down the lane. Theresademoninme maintained his lead over Marquis Lafayette by the slimmest of margins all the way to the line and hung on by a neck to win in 1:55, which tied his seasonal best outing.
On the strength of his half-century win, Theresademoninme ($12.80) also boosted his lifetime bank to $715,058. The 10-year-old gelded son of Kadabra and Tortoni is owned by the Scheigert Stable and is trained by Amanda Kelley.
With the start of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes only weeks away on Sept. 26, several eligibles made some preliminary starts on Friday in preparation of the upcoming series and two went home victorious.
In the $15,000 Wood End Light race for two-year-old trotters, the filly Wonderwall Lindy (Walner-Lindysleadinglady) came from off the pace to score her first lifetime win by 5-1/2 lengths in 1:59. Driven by Jay Randall for trainer George Ducharme, Wonderwall Lindy is owned by Jim Winske, David Winske, Stephen Michaels and Keith Cluff.
Later, in the $8,500 non-winners of one trot, Lindy On Stage (Cantab Hall-Lindys Showgirl) sat second to the half and then came first-over, took a 1-1/2-length lead, and maintained that advantage to the line, where he won in lifetime best of 1:59.1. Lindy On Stage ($12.80) was driven by Wally Watson for owners John and Susan Muldoon. The three-year-old gelding is trained by Lisa Watson.
Shawn Gray, Drew Monti and Jay Randall were all members of the driving double club on Friday.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Sunday (Sept. 5) with post time at 2 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)