Shorething Fashion bounced back from a narrow defeat last week to score a similarly close win in the featured $10,500 trotting feature at Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon.
Driver Nick Graffam pointed Shorething Fashion to the front and took command before hitting the quarter and settling in for the journey. The horses remained in single file past the half and to the five-eighths before Neverdie (Mitchell Cushing) finally pulled and tried to pressure the leader.
They got to three-quarters in 1:25.4 and Shorething Fashion was being surrounded by a now closer Neverdie on the outside and the pocket-sitting Coco Lindy (Drew Monti) to his flank. Heading into the lane they were three across the track with Shorething Fashion and Neverdie doing better work and they hit the wire together with Shorething Fashion getting a head in front to win in 1:54.2, which was a new lifetime mark for the winner.
Owned by his trainer Mike Eaton and partner Bob McHugh, Shorething Fashion ($8.00) has now won two out of his last three starts.
Corporal Cole, a two-year-old pacer named in honour of Corporal Eugene Cole who was a Somerset County (Maine) Sheriff that was killed in the line of duty, won his first lifetime race after pulling second-over from fifth and eventually overtaking Rollin In Roan (Steve Nason) in the stretch to win by one-half length in 1:57.1.
Corporal Cole ($30.40) is owned by Joseph Bradeen and Mike Cushing. Charlene Cushing trains the winner.
When live racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m., there will be a $24,856 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 wager in race six.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)