Ft. Washington, MD – A $12,000 Maryland Preferred Open Handicap and four $70,000 Maryland Sires Stakes finals for 2-year-old pacers and trotters were contested on Sunday night (Oct. 24) at Rosecroft Raceway.

Having the post advantage over his main foes, driver Eric Davis and Cant Beach That simply needed to work out a trip and he would have a great chance to win. Davis did just that, for Cant Beach That wore down pace setter Precision Blue Chip and pocket sitter Rocktavius to win in 1:50.4

When the gate unfolded, Dirt On My Boots left hard from post three and that forced Rocktavius (post eight) and Precision Blue Chip (post nine) to leave even harder as Rocktavius hit the quarter pole in :25.4. Precision Blue Chip with no hole had to keep on going and cleared before the finish line the first time and led the field past the half in :54. Dirt On My Boots pulled first over and that’s where Davis made his winning move, latching on to the cover and eventually tipping three wide off the final turn to win by 3/4 of a length. Surprise Pic LLC owns the five-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere who won for the sixth time this year and he is trained by Michael Hall. The Hall barn is on fire, winning eight of its first 16 starts in the fall meet.

There were four $70,000 finals contested for two-year-old pacers and trotters. In the Charlie Keller Memorial for freshmen filly trotters, You’ll Never Be Me and Russell Foster won with wild fractions of :27.4, :57.3, 1:28.1 and won in 2:01.2. Richard Hans bred, owns and trains the Cam’s Rocket offspring who is 4-5 on the year with earnings of $85,750.

Foster then steered Hoofbeats De Vie, a son of Charlie De Vie, to an easy win in 1:59.2 to win the Wayne Smullin Memorial. Christopher Lakata trains for the Joie De Vie Farm, as Hoofbeats De Vie went a perfect 6-6 in Maryland Sires Stakes company in 2021.

Roger Plante and Predict The Future, who was second in the $70,000 final back in September at Ocean Downs, as the beaten favorite, somehow went off at 14-1 and stormed home past pace setter Maleficent K to win the Ralph Hayward Memorial in 1:57. Dr. William J. Solomon owns the daughter Rusty’s All In, Steve LeBlanc conditions the now three time winner in eight starts with earnings of $62,487.

In the Earl Wagner Memorial, Jared Moyer and Donny’s All In, scored from the pocket to beat stablemate Anthony’s All In, winning in 1:56.4. Pamela Wagner bred and owns the winner who is conditioned by Earl Wagner’s son John. It was the second win in three starts at Rosecroft for Donny’s All In whose earnings now sit at $65,964.