by Pete Medhurst, for Rosecroft Raceway

Ft. Washington, MD — Hickory Aloha ($21.40) can leave the gate as fast as any horse at Rosecroft Raceway. Sunday night (May 13), driver Timmy Offutt left as usual, but his decision to drop in the pocket proved to be a winning one as he took the $11,000 Maryland Open Handicap in a lifetime best 1:50.2.

Offutt sent the son of Village Jolt out hard with Kiss A Dragon (Russell Foster) and Abelard Hanover (Frank Milby) and the latter was parked the mile acting as a prompter outside of Kiss A Dragon through splits of :26, :53.4, and 1:22. While Abelard Hanover faded finally, Hickory Aloha tipped to the right of Kiss A Dragon and nipped the hard luck loser by a matter of inches. Diamondkeeper (John Wagner) was third.

In the spirit of Mother’s Day, Hickory Aloha’s mom, Hawaiian Flash, scored 27 wins and earned $573,000 and was a multiple stakes winner and had a mark of 1:50.3.

Hickory Aloha is owned and trained by Joe Offutt. Timmy Offutt picked up a double winning with Gold Deuce who he owns and trains.

Playboy Buddy Rose ($9.40) won the featured trot of the night in a lifetime best 1:54.2 for driver Justin Vincent. Lloyd Lambert owns and bred the son of Equinox Bi who is trained by Linda Lambert. His mom, My Elusive Dream, had a career best three race win streak at Ocean Downs in 2008, including a win in the Alan Myer Trotting Series.

In Maryland Sires Stakes action, Cool Toy (Jason Green) and Miss Choptank (Victor Kirby) took $6,500 divisions for 3-year old filly pacers.

Cool Toy roared out of the pocket to beat pacesetter HS Shauna (Roger Plante) by a length in 1:53.1. Rissy’s All In (John Wagner) was third. Nick Callahan bred the daughter of Cool Flying Fun who is owned by Breakaway Racing and conditioned by Elwood Tignor. Her mom, Tom’s Toy, won multiple Delaware stakes divisions and made $199,784 and paced to a mark of 1:52.4.

Miss Choptank easily overpowered her foes in the final turn to win by just over three lengths in 1:55. The daughter of Total Truth is owned by Legacy Racing of Delaware and Stephen Townsend, and conditioned by Wayne Givens. Her mom, Blaze Of Color, paced to a mark of 1:53.4 and made $92,000 lifetime.

In the sophomore trotting colt division, last year’s dominant force, What That Is, started his 2018 season in fine fashion, winning in 1:56 despite being parked past the opening quarter for Brian Burton. Judy Welty trains for Brian Emerson, who owns the son of Cam’s Rocket, a pacer, who has turned into a monster trotting sire for breeder Richard Hans. No record can be found for his mom, Give Em The Boot, as she was unraced, but she has thrown the fastest trotter in the program, Hybrid Henry, who tied the Rosecroft trotting track record last week in 1:53.3.