Plainville, MA — Two of the top trotters at the current Plainridge Park meet hit the wire simultaneously and took new lifetime marks in their dead heat for win in Tuesday’s (June 9) featured $27,500 Open Handicap Trot.
Resolve To Win (Bruce Ranger) out-brushed Memorynimagination (Matty Athearn) and Kazio DK (Kevin Switzer Jr.) off the gate and passed the quarter on top in :27. With Memorynimagination in the pocket, Resolve To Win reached the half in :56.2 and three-quarters in 1:23.4 as the leading pair pulled away from the field by 3 lengths heading into the last turn.
Resolve To Win came out of that bend with a length lead, but Athearn had Memorynimagination in the two-path with a full head of steam. Resolve To Win stayed on task, but Memorynimagination continued to close. The pair trotted flawlessly in tandem to the line and crossed simultaneously in 1:52.2, which gave each a new career record.
It was the eighth win of the year Memorynimagination ($3.40), who is owned by Joe Trice and trained by Jimmy Nickerson, and it was the sixth win of the year for Resolve To Win ($2.60), who is owned by Pollack Racing and trained by Enrico Robinson.
In the undercard $25,000 Open II Trot, Big Box Hanover (Matty Athearn) took the lead from Ponda Rocky (Kevin Switzer Jr.) past the quarter and never looked back from there. After reaching the half in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:24.3, Athearn rounded the last turn with Big Box Hanover and held off a fast-closing Heaven’s Pic (Mitchell Cushing) to win by a length in 1:53.3.
It was the 64th lifetime win for Big Box Hanover ($9.60), who is owned and trained by Larry Stalbaum.
Earlier in the card, the track record for 3-year-old trotting geldings was equalled when Mother’s Moni (Bruce Ranger) went gate to wire by open lengths in 1:53.1. Mother’s Moni ($2.80) is owned and bred by K R Breeding and trained by Domenico Cecere.
Mother’s Moni was bred in Massachusetts and will be competing in the $3.2 million Massachusetts Breeders Stakes, which begins Sept. 28.
Driver Bruce Ranger was in the limelight all day at Plainridge with his hat trick at the lines. Aside from winning with the aforementioned Resolve To Win and Mother’s Moni, Ranger closed out his triple with Signature By Lindy (1:56.1, $3.20), who was also trained by Cecere, who led all trainers with a pair of wins.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday (June 11) at 4 p.m.; there will be a $45,559 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 in race 6.
Free full-card past performance programs and replays for every card of racing at Plainridge Park can always be accessed at plainridgeparkcasino.com.