Plainville, MA — For the second week in a row, Resolve To Win turned in a victorious gate-to-wire performance, scoring a 1:52.4 win in Tuesday’s (June 16) $30,000 Open Handicap Trot at Plainridge Park.
Resolve To Win (Bruce Ranger) left from post 8 and completed the long trek to the front at the quarter in :27.3. With Kazio DK (Kevin Switzer Jr.) drafting intently in the pocket, Resolve To Win then stepped lively to the half in :56.2 and three-quarters in 1:24.2 with nary a challenge from the rear.
Positions remained unchanged as the race made its way through turn three, but at the top of the stretch, Kazio DK pulled and took direct aim at Resolve To Win. The two trotters matched strides to the line, but Kazio DK could not catch the leader and Resolve To Win crossed first by a length.
It was the fourth win in the last five starts for Resolve To Win ($9), who is owned by Pollack Racing and trained by Enrico Robinson, who registered a conditioning hat trick during the afternoon.
In the secondary featured $22,000 upper-level conditioned trot, Unhinged (Brett Beckwith) out-left several horses and led the field at the quarter in :26.4. But Mocha Java (Jay Randall) quickly vacated the pocket in lieu of the point and resided there to the half in :55.2 and three-quarters in 1:23.4, while Unhinged drafted second and the rest of the field was in two rows.
The top pair remained as seeded through the last turn, but at the top of the stretch, Unhinged tipped off cover and barreled down the center of the track to a 1-1/4-length victory in 1:53.2, setting a new lifetime mark.
Unhinged ($18.60) is owned by Howard Jacobs and trained by Melissa Beckwith.
Matty Athearn was the leading driver with three wins on Tuesday while Gretchen Athearn joined Robinson with a training hat trick of her own.
Racing at Plainridge Park resumes on Thursday (June 18) at 4 p.m.
Free full-card past performance programs and replays for every card of racing at Plainridge Park are available at plainridgeparkcasino.com.