After a one week respite, the Massachusetts Sire Stakes (MASS) will return to action at Plainridge Park. Four freshman races totalling $163,434 will head to post on Monday afternoon (Oct. 22) while five events for second-year starters totalling $163,000 will be contested on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 23).
On Monday, one notable first time series starter in the two-year-old trotting filly division is the Lindy Farms-bred and owned Taylor Swiftly (Trixton-True Diva) who has been campaigning in the Bluegrass State since August. There she registering three consecutive wins in the Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) before finishing third in the $250,000 final after cutting the mile as the heavy favourite.
Taylor Swiftly has been installed as the 7-5 morning line favourite in the $40,300 second race, and trainer Domenico Cecere has Scott Zeron headed to Massachusetts to pilot the filly once again.
Three two-time 2018 MASS winners will be back this week trying to make it a series sweep in the other three divisions as all heads are pointed to the finals next week.
Simple Kaos (RC Royalty-Ksenia) has gone two-for-two in dominating fashion in the two-year-old trotting colt and gelding division and is the heavy 3-5 favourite to do so once again. George Ducharme has Jimmy Whittemore in stirrup duty as per normal this week.
Victorias Maverick (Western Maverick-Perfect Launch) is also unbeaten in MASS action this year, as he has bested all two-year-old pacing males to this point. He is 4-5 before the betting starts for trainer Valerie Grondin and driver Heath Campbell.
And Karans Choice (Sportswriter-Denverlove) who was a runaway winner last week against the two-year-old pacing fillies will look for her third straight win in the lone non-betting event for trainer/driver Jim Hardy.
Post time for the non-betting race is 1:45 p.m. Post time for the first race on the regular betting card is 2 p.m. with the MASS divisions programmed as races one through three on the regular card.
The three-year-olds will return on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 23) and four of those five races look to be very competitive battles offering betting value as well.
A close three-way contest should be between the three-year-old pacing fillies Delco Dusty (Jeremes Jet-Gypsys Good Girl), Rock Me Threetimes (Rock N Roll Heaven) and Gonna Hear Me Rohr (Western Maverick-Heather K).
Delco Dusty has won the first two legs of the MASS for trainer Jimmy Nickerson, but Kevin Switzer’s Rock Me Threetimes came up just short last week while finishing second. And Gonna Hear Me Rohr will head in off of a big 13-length romp in the Maine Sire Stakes finals last week for trainer James Dunn.
Delco Dusty (Shawn Gray) is 7-5, Gonna Hear Me Rohr (Drew Campbell) is 2-1 and Rock Me Threetimes (Mitchell Cushing) is 5-2 morning line for the race.
With the three-year-old pacing colts and geldings having gone two divisions all three weeks, two-time winners Im A Clown (Im Gorgeous-Lordy Miss Scarlet) and Pembroke Pharoah (Baron Biltmore-Migraine) have not met head to head so far. However that changed this week as they drew the same division setting up a heavyweight battle worth noting.
Kevin Switzer’s Im A Clown (Mitchell Cushing) has been made the 4-5 morning line favourite and Pembroke Pharoah (Heath Campbell) is 8-5 for trainer Valerie Grondin in what should be a very exciting match up.
In the other division of three-year-old pacing males, Shiplap (Real Desire-Unbeachable) looks like a solid starter at 7-5 for trainer/driver Ivan Davies with Beantown Elijah (Dragon Again-Wondrous Grace) being his main rival at 9-5 for the Ducharme/Whittemore tandem.
George Ducharme also has top trotters Hashtagmadeyalook and Ithinkthatsmine in the mix with Shawn Gray sitting behind both of them once again.
Hashtagmadeyalook (Chapter Seven-Royalty Free) has gone two in a row but Domenico Cecere’s Kinda Lucky Lindy (Lucky Chucky-Kinda Crazy Lindy) has been right behind him both times by a mere head and nose. These two will hook up again and all bets are off as to who comes out on top this time.
Hashtagmadeyalook is even money going in with Kinda Lucky Lindy (Scott Zeron) rated a value at 5-2 this week.
Ithinkthatsmine (RC Royalty-Super Starlet) has been peerless among three-year-old trotting fillies in the MASS this year, as she has won her first two starts by a combined 11 lengths and it would appear she should not be challenged once again on Monday. The race will be a non-betting event that will be contested before the betting card starts.
Post time for the non-betting race will be at 1:45 p.m. Post time for the first race on the regular betting card will be at 2 p.m., and the MASS divisions have been programmed as races one through four.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)