Fort Washington, MD – With Spring Blake taking a week off after dominating Maryland‘s best pacers for much of the current meeting, Rodney Long’s J M Mandamin dug deep to repel two late challengers and seal a narrow 1:51.2 win in Monday’s (April 6) $12,000 Open Pace at Rosecroft Raceway.
Sent off the 1-5 favorite in the seven-horse field, J M Mandamin and driver Frank Milby sprinted clear of 7-2 second choice Layton Hanover (driven by Roger Plante Jr.) through a :27.1 first quarter before backing down the half to :56. After continuing up the backstretch unopposed, J M Mandamin found his first test of the race in the form of Sea Of Life (Russell Foster), who mounted a first-over bid out of fourth before the far turn and offered mild pressure to the leader cornering for home. The 10-year-old Mach Three-J M Lasstax gelding shrugged off Sea Of Life with ease, but Layton Hanover gave him a stronger test up the open stretch. J M Mandamin held steadfast, holding off Layton Hanover’s inside bid by a diminishing head while Sea Of Life finished third after leveling off.
John Dixon trains J M Mandamin, now a 37-time winner with $502,480 in career earnings. He paid $2.40 to win.
MONDAY NIGHT ‘FEVER’:The Spring Fever Claiming Series, for $10,000 claiming pacers, kicked off Monday with 26 first-round entrants split into three $7,500 divisions. The winners were: Brother Dick (1:53.3, Justin Walters, $4.60), Poseidon Deo (1:53.2, Trae Porter, $4.40) and Reactor Now A (1:53.1, William Carter, $7.40). The series will continue each Monday in April, with further preliminary rounds taking place on April 13 and 20 before the top nine point earners from the three preliminary rounds contest a $11,000-added final on April 27.
WALTERS’ WINNERS: Justin Walters led all drivers with a hat trick on the 13-race card. The 23-year-old reinsman teamed the aforementioned Brother Dick to victory for trainer Greg Trotto before also winning with James Eveland trainee Subban (1:54, $3.40) and Tucker Coleman trainee Frontier Rollo (1:52.4, $7).
Live harness racing at Rosecroft resumes Thursday (April 9) with the 13-race card highlighted by a $12,000 Open Handicap Trot and a $2,096.06 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5. First post is 7:15 p.m. (EDT).