Plainville, MA – The $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot will be held at Plainridge Park on Sunday (July 20) during the biggest race day of the summer in Massachusetts. The card also features the $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace and the $75,000 Bert Beckwith Memorial Invitational Pace on a day with a total of $600,000 in purses up for grabs.
Below are the selections of eight racing media members who made their picks for the top three marquee events.
Gordon Waterstone – Harness Racing Communicators Hall of Fame – Journalist
BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE
1 Vintage Cheddar N picks up Dunn who should put this 10-year-old vet in perfect stalking position.
5 Lifes A Puzzle
3 Heinikin Bythebay
CLARA BARTON PACE
4 Twin B Joe Fresh the reining Horse of the Year will show once again why she is the queen of racing.
5 Sylvia Hanover
6 My Girl EJ
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT
3 Logan Park has the best inside speed to give him a tactical advantage in controlling over a tough second choice.
6 Periculum
8 Aetos Kronos S
Bob “Hollywood” Heyden – Harness Racing Communicators Hall of Fame – Broadcaster and Historian
BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE
4 Fourever Boy would be fitting for Brett and Mom to capture the Beckwith.
3 Heinikin Bythebay
8 Pirate Hanover
CLARA BARTON PACE
4 Twin B Joe Fresh is about $1.2 million away from being the all-time mare earnings leader and vying to become the first Horse of the Year repeater since Moni Maker.
5 Sylvia Hanover
6 My Girl EJ
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT
1 Up Your Deo is in a prime upsetting position and looking to come back large from a “so-so” season.
3 Logan Park
6 Periculum
Ken Warkentin – Harness Racing Communicators Hall of Fame – Meadowlands Track Announcer – Voice of the Hambletonian
BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE
1 Vintage Cheddar N just tripped-out to the mile of his life and picks up Dexter.
5 Lifes A Puzzle
4 Fourever Boy
CLARA BARTON PACE
4 Twin B Joe Fresh how do you go against the defending Horse of the Year?
5 Sylvia Hanover
6 My Girl EJ
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT
6 Periculum was the winner of the Cutler and Crawford with trot to spare.
8 Aetos Kronos S
3 Logan Park
Debbie Little – Harness Racing Communicators Hall of Fame – Associate Editor of Harness Racing Update
BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE
1 Vintage Cheddar N Dunn gets it done from the one.
5 Lifes A Puzzle
4 Fourever Boy
CLARA BARTON PACE
4 Twin B Joe Fresh is hard to pick off after getting back on track in the Dorothy Haughton Memorial.
5 Sylvia Hanover
6 My Girl EJ
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT
8 Aetos Kronos S Melander’s “other horse” gives Dunn a natural hat trick.
6 Periculum
7 Lexus Kody
Garnet Barnsdale – DRF Harness and Ontario Racing Handicapper
BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE
1 Vintage Cheddar N gets the best driver in the world for this.
5 Lifes A Puzzle
4 Fourever Boy
CLARA BARTON PACE
4 Twin B Joe Fresh got back on track last Saturday night.
5 Sylvia Hanover
6 My Girl EJ
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT
3 Logan Park can get a good trip racing near the front here.
6 Periculum
7 Lexus Kody
Derick Giwner – DRF Harness Editor
BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE
6 Tenzing Bromac N went an easy mile in U.S. debut; more now!
5 Lifes A Puzzle
1 Vintage Cheddar N
CLARA BARTON PACE
4 Twin B Joe Fresh is the undisputed queen of this division.
5 Sylvia Hanover
1 Talk Curdy To Me
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT
6 Periculum dominated these in the Crawford Farms Trot.
7 Lexus Kody
1 Up Your Deo
Lenny Calderone – Plainridge Park Track Announcer
BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE
5 Lifes A Puzzle comes into the Beckwith in razor sharp form.
1 Vintage Cheddar N
2 Two Fold Cold
CLARA BARTON PACE
4 Twin B Joe Fresh comes off a dominating win in the Haughton Memorial and is strictly the one to beat.
5 Sylvia Hanover
1 Talk Curdy To Me
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT
7 Lexus Kody has been the model of consistency for Burke and should be flying off the gate with no intentions of stopping.
6 Periculum
2 Chapercraz
Tim Bojarski – Harness Racing Communicators Hall of Fame – Plainridge Park Racing Media Relations
BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE
4 Fourever Boy is versatile, knows this track and gives Brett his first win in the family namesake race.
5 Lifes A Puzzle
3 Heinikin Bythebay
CLARA BARTON PACE
4 Twin B Joe Fresh is a generational talent that stands alone in here.
5 Sylvia Hanover
6 My Girl EJ
SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT
6 Periculum looks too good to choose against right now.
8 Aetos Kronos S
7 Lexus Kody