Fort Washington, MD – Driver Johnathan Ahle captured three of the six $10,000 first-round Maryland Sire Stakes preliminary events for 2-year-olds on Monday (Sept. 22) at Rosecroft Raceway.
Ahle, who led all drivers with five wins on the entire program, capped his stakes hat trick with Booger Bear, a 1:57.3 winner in the lone section for male trotters. The Yall Beneath Me-Get Rich Quick gelding, who competes as a homebred for owner/trainer Richard Hans, rated fractions of :29.1, :59.3 and 1:29 before accelerating through the final turn to put 10-1/4 lengths on runner-up Flyin Wizard. Ahle and Hans also teamed up with And Just Like That, a 5-1/4-length, 1:58.2 winner in the filly trot.
Ahle’s other stakes win came aboard That’sloveto, who took the first filly pacing division in 1:57.3 for owner/trainer/breeder Dominik Miga.
I Say That Too was the faster of the victorious pacing fillies, drawing 14 lengths clear of More Than Better to post a 1:56.3 win. Corey Braden owns and drove the Rusty’s For Real-Who Says That filly, whom Stacey McLenaghan trains.
Better Gon took speed honors by way of his four-length, 1:55.4 win over Dapper Time in the first 2-year-old male pacing division. Russell Foster drove the More The Better N-Graygon gelding for trainer Adrian Wisher Jr. and owner Frederick Weitz Jr. Inca Social rallied to a 1:59 win in the other male pacing split, with Roger Plante Jr. aboard for owner/trainer Howard Birney.
The evening’s overnight feature, a $9,000 top-level conditioned pace, saw Mark Howard’s On The Cards N ($4.40) yield to 4-5 favorite Layton Hanover after setting a :26.3 first quarter, stalk middle splits of :55 and 1:23.1, and emerge off the turn for home to draw off by 1-1/4 lengths for a 1:52 score over his pacesetting rival. Ahle drove the 10-year-old Bettor’s Delight gelding for trainer Willard Reynolds.
When live racing returns to Rosecroft on Thursday (Sept. 25), there will be a $1,504.12 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5, offered in race 10. First post for the 13-race card is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. For more information and free handicapping resources, visit www.rosecroft.com.