Plainville, MA — Sweet Jeff IR posted his best outing of the season as he went gate-to-wire to win Thursday’s (Oct. 22) featured $20,000 starter allowance at Plainridge Park.
Sweet Jeff IR (Kyle Swift) left from post 1 and never looked back. With Sweet Street Lou (Matty Athearn) sitting on his back, Sweet Jeff IR set quarters of :27, :55 and 1:22.2, while turning back a challenge from JL’s Rockstar (Mitchell Cushing) through that third panel. The top tandem turned left the third time and entered the stretch, where Sweet Street Lou tipped off his cover and tried to catch the leader. He made up ground but came up a quarter length short as Sweet Jeff IR hung on to win in 1:50.1.
Sweet Jeff IR ($6.40) is owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and trained by Joe Nelson.
Kyle Swift also won one of the secondary featured $16,000 TrackMaster event with Hungry To Succeed, who drafted behind He’s Coming On (Mitchell Cushing) until the five-eighths, where he pulled first-over, took the lead at the top of the stretch, and then held off the fast-closing Whats For Suppah (Kevin Switzer Jr.) to win by a half length in 1:50.2.
Hungry To Succeed ($4.20) is owned by David Del Pozzo and trained by Jaymes McAssey.
The other $16,000 TrackMaster went to Low Rider (Matty Athearn), who moved to the front as the race passed the quarter in :27, and then made every station a winning one. Low Rider got to the half in :55.2 and then fought with Mach Seelster (Brett Beckwith) to three-quarters in 1:23.2. Low Rider turned that challenge away and was clear by a length. But heading for home, he had to fend off Smart Guy (Mitchell Cushing), P L Pasqual (Kevin Switzer Jr.) and Patrikthepiranha A (Bruce Ranger) to win by a length in 1:51, which was a new seasonal mark.
Low Rider ($5.80) is owned by Fought Racing, Brian Carsey and Adam Friedland and trained by Julia Eaton.
Athearn was the leading driver on Thursday after he won a total of four races on the program. Besides his victory with Low Rider, Athearn also won with Big City Maybelline (1:54, $16.20), Family Jewel (1:54.2, $6.80) and Whata Foolbelieves (1:52.2, $7.40).
Those four wins pushed Athearn to the lead for driving wins this meet with a total of 145, passing Mitchell Cushing, who now sits in second with 143.
Racing at Plainridge Park will resume on Friday (Oct. 23) at 2 p.m.; there will be a $16,662 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 in the sixth race. Free full-card past performance programs and replays for every card of racing at Plainridge Park are available at plainridgeparkcasino.com.