It was a record-breaking day in the Massachusetts Breeders Stakes at Plainridge Park on Monday, Sept. 30 after three stakes records were rewritten by some of the finest state-bred three-year-olds who were competing in the second leg of the series with five races were valued at $412,161.
The pacing fillies went in two $54,054 splits due to the number of entries while all other divisions competed in one $101,351 dash.
The connections of driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Ron Burke and owners Thomas and Scott Dillon had a big day as they sent two record-breaking horses to post while another talented triumvirate of driver Bruce Ranger, trainer Domenico Cecere and owner/breeder Lindy Farms of Connecticut also boasted a record-setter in one of their two stakes wins.
Gingras, Burke and Dillon got started in the $101,351 pace for colts and geldings where they saw their Rocknroll Lou (Sweet Lou-Beautiful Lady) win his second straight Massachusetts Stakes start in record time.
Rocknroll Lou got away third as Oer The Ramparts (Brett Beckwith) and Bang Ah Uey (Jimmy Hardy) traded leads in the :26.3 first quarter. After Bang Ah Uey finally crossed over, he settled in and got to the half in :55 before heading up the backstretch. As the field passed five-eighths, Gingras tipped Rocknroll Lou and bolted to the front before three-quarters, but couldn’t clear a defiant Bang Ah Uey around the last turn. But at the top of the stretch, Gingras asked more of Rocknroll Lou and he delivered, pacing home on top by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:51.1.
The clocking was a career-best for Rocknroll Lou ($2.10), who also set a new stakes record for three-year-old male pacers and became the fastest three-year-old pacing gelding ever bred in Massachusetts.
Rocknroll Lou was bred by Lester Gelardi and Anthony Passafaro.
The Gingras, Burke and Dillon trio also won with Every Mans Dream (Always B Miki-Lindys Nightmare), who made it two in a row in the first $54,054 leg for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Color Me Sweet (Brett Beckwith) was bold on the front and cut the mile while Every Mans Dream (Yannick Gingras) sat in the pocket. Color Me Sweet stepped off fractions of :27.2, :56.4 and 1:25.1 before entering the last turn. It was there that Gingras tipped Every Mans Dream and in a matter of a few strides, went right past the leader and then stormed home on top by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:52.4.
The triumph in the non-betting event was the third win of the year in 12 starts for Every Mans Dream, who was bred by Lindy Farms of Connecticut.
Then the group of Ranger, Cecere and Lindy got to work and were responsible for the third stakes record of the day that came in the $101,351 event for trotting fillies where their Treatyofversailles (International Moni-Birthright) turned in the mile of her life.
Dawn Of Lindy (Yannick Gingras) was the early leader until Ranger and Treatyofversailles came rolling up on the outside to take the lead past the quarter. From there, Treatyofversailles got to the half in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:25.1 where Sassy Zaza (Brett Beckwith) was making her bid on the outside. As they made their way through the far turn, Treatyofversailles started to separate from the field and in the stretch, pulled away to a 2-3/4-length victory in 1:53.4.
The time was a new lifetime mark for Treatyofversailles ($4.40) and also rewrote the stakes record for three-year-old filly trotters.
Ranger, Cecere and Lindy's second win came in the $101,351 trot for colts and geldings where Intl Blockade (International Moni-Love N Lindy) bounced back from an untimely break last week.
Ranger shot right to the front with Intl Blockade and posted snappy and uncontested quarters of :27.4, :57.4 and 1:26.2 before facing a challenge from Keep Asking (Nick Graffam), who moved first-over from fourth to sidle the leader in the last turn. At the top of the stretch, Keep Asking had fought his way to the lead, but the race was not over. Intl Blockade manned-up and came back strong, taking back the lead at the top of the stretch before trotting home under a line-drive by Ranger to win in 1:54.4.
The victory was the sixth win in only 10 starts this year for Intl Blockade ($5.60).
The second $54,054 split for pacing fillies went to Beantown Ace (Captain Crunch-Ace Of Pace), who got the nod in a blanket finish.
Real Shady Lady (Shawn Gray) grabbed the lead at the quarter from Valentine Rose (Matty Athearn), but Valentine Rose recaptured the front and led the single-file field to the half in :57.2. As the field made its way to three-quarters, Beantown Ace pulled first-over and drew even with the leader before entering the final bend. In that turn, Real Shady Lady tipped three-wide around both of them and things got real interesting. When the group turned for home, Beantown Ace pulled ahead of Valentine Rose and then held off Real Shady Lady and the late-closing Whos Perfect (Heath Campbell) to win by a quarter of a length in 1:55.3.
The win was the third of the year in 16 starts for Beantown Ace ($6.20), who is owned and bred by Michael Goldberg Racing. George Ducharme trains the winner.
There was another impressive track record set in non-stakes action later in the card where Leannes Choice (Courtly Choice-Village Madonna) turned in the fastest mile ever paced by a three-year-old filly at Plainridge Park. And she did it as the only filly in the field against eight colts and geldings.
Making her first start since the Jugette in Delaware, Ohio, Leannes Choice (Marcus Miller) led every step of the way en route to a 1-3/4-length victory in 1:50.2, which gave the filly a new lifetime mark and also set the new Plainridge record.
Leannes Choice ($3.80) is owned by her trainer Erv Miller, in partnership with Ronald Michelon and Douglas Overhiser.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. and the card will feature the second leg of the Massachusetts Breeders Stakes for two-year-olds.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)