by Joe Hartmann, for Plainridge Racecourse

Plainville, MA — Artie Bacardi overcame a serious break just after the start of the race and powered to his first career victory with a 1:59.4 triumph in a $6,500 Massachusetts Sires Stake at Plainridge Racecourse on Tuesday afternoon, August 14.

Owned by Stephen O’Toole, trained by Nancy Longobardi and driven by Jim Hardy, Artie Bacardi was rough going to the gate and was on a break at the start. But Hardy steadied the pacer, caught the field before the half-mile mark, and paced away to a 9-1/4 length victory over stablemate Penn Station and Profit Pro.

In the $6,112 Mass Sires Stake for 2-year-old filly pacers, Alfred Ross’ Bet On Betty, trained and driven by George Ducharme, set a new lifetime mark in her first stakes start with a 2:02 victory over Summer Spirit and Badlands Lib.

In other Mass Sires Stake action, Raymond Campbell’s RC Legacy scored a 2:05.3 victory for trainer Dan Daley and driver John Beckwith in the $5,508 2-year-old colt trot.

In the $6,678 2-year-old filly trot, the Campbell-Daley-Beckwith combination scored again, with RC Biscuit trotting to a 2:03.3 victory.

Mass Sires Stake competition continues with 3-year-old action on August 21.