Bangor, ME – Plus One continues to be the master of addition, steadily adding on win after win, while ciphering through a career that most racehorses would gladly aspire too.
The now 11-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere crossed over not one, but two major milestones on Sunday (July 5) as driver Kevin Switzer Jr. guided the prolific pacer through a seemingly effortless gate-to-wire score, recording the 40th career win for the veteran campaigner, while simultaneously pushing his lifetime earnings tally past the coveted quarter-million-dollar mark.
It was a never-in-doubt sort of mile for the Joseph Burke-owned pacer as Switzer hustled his charge smartly off the gate, floated through an opening half in a breezy :58.1, and then satisfied with his early work, watched the field arrange themselves in rearview mirror fashion.
With the competition challenged to stride to within even a length of the pacesetter, dissuasion came in swift and decided fashion as Switzer allowed Plus One his head during the second circuit, accelerating at that point through a competition discouraging :57.3 back-half, and gliding to an in-hand 1-3/4-length margin at the wire.
The epic was timed in a blazing 1:55.4, while the punters were rewarded with reasonable $2.60 win ticket returns.
Switzer has managed a remarkable partnership with Plus One over the years, piloting the veteran campaigner to 17 of his 40 career wins, and remarkably, the last eight times that Plus One has found the winners circle, Switzer has been holding the lines.
Plus One’s win was one of two on the card for trainer Robert Marston, who later in the day hooked up with Switzer once again to score with the versatile Beyond The Past (1:55.3, $3.80).
Repelled in his attempt to cut the mile with Beyond The Past, Switzer gracefully took back, elected the rally route over the point, and then parlayed that strategy into a 5-length romp for owner John DiAntonio Jr.
The Marston roster wins accounted for only two of Switzer’s five top tallies on Sunday though. The Switzer surge also included wins aboard No Small Wonder (2:02.3, NB), who broke her maiden in her first lifetime appearance in a $14,808 Maine Sire Stakes event; Vel Mr Nice Guy (1:59, $6.60), who mounted a deep second-over rally to secure his 41st career win; and Holymotherofmoses (1:56, $5.60), who returned gloriously to form after rejoining the Logan Lanpher stable.
Switzer’s efforts on Sunday elevated him into third place on the Bangor Raceway leaderboard, with his 31 local wins trailing only Heath Campbell (39) and Aaron Hall (37).
In other Bangor news, both Campbell and Nick Graffam enjoyed multiple-win performances on Sunday, with each visiting the Bass Park winner’s circle following three winning drives, while trainer Michelle Lefebvre matched Marston by sending two winners home from her roster.
Live harness racing at Bangor Raceway during the month of July will be conducted on a two-day-per-week schedule, featuring the return of the popular Sunday matinees with the early 12:10 p.m. (EDT) post time. The Wednesday cards will go to post at 3 p.m.
For those not able to come to the track, wagering and live video for Bangor Raceway, as well as hundreds of harness and Thoroughbred racetracks across the world, is available on Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com.
For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining, and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website at www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com.