Fort Washington, MD — Johnny Crites Jr. moved into a share of the lead in the training table at Rosecroft Raceway’s newly minted Fall Meeting with three wins on the Thursday (Sept. 17) card, led by Stamphillshadow GB’s 1:52.3 victory in a co-featured $9,250 conditioned pace for fillies and mares.
Russell Foster, who led all drivers with four wins on the 13-race program, launched 4-5 favorite Stamphillshadow GB to the lead out of post 9, and the 6-year-old Smack Talk-Serranohall mare rolled through splits of :27, :56 and 1:23.4. After spurning a mid-race challenge from 7-2 second choice Devilish Dreams (driven by Brandon Givens), Stamphillshadow GB opened 4-1/2 lengths of clearance on runner-up Summer Squall (Roger Plante Jr.) to win for the 17th time in her career. Ashtons Artillery (Jonathan Roberts) rallied belatedly for third.
Steve Wetzel owns Stamphillshadow GB, who paid $3.60 to win.
Crites’ other wins came with Sanders Hanover (1:56.2, William R. Carter, $13.80) and Beehive Queen (1:55.1, Roberts, $3.60).
The evening’s top trot, a $10,000 top-level conditioned event, saw Sinatra De Vie and Russell Foster circle three-wide out of post 8 to seize the lead from Bayside Cue (Givens) after a :28 first quarter before keeping that foe 2 lengths at bay for a 1:55.4 score. Eric Foster owns and trains the 6-year-old Southwind Frank-Lola De Vie gelding, who paid $2.40 to win.
Live harness racing returns to Rosecroft Raceway on Monday (Sept. 14); the 14-race pari-mutuel program, which begins at 7:15 p.m. (EDT), will be preceded by three non-wagering Maryland Sire Stakes preliminary events for 3-year-olds, the first of which is scheduled for 6 p.m. For more information, including free program pages and live and archived video, visit www.rosecroftraceway.com.