by Joe Hartmann, for Plainridge Racecourse

Plainville, MA –– Fireball Racing’s Patio Pete, one of the hottest free for all trotters currently racing in the Northeast, hopes to celebrate the Labor Day holiday in grand style as he is an even money favorite in the $20,000 Ron Pasquantonio Memorial Trot at Plainridge Racecourse.

Trained by Ross Croghan, Patio Pete, a seven-year-old gelded son of Overcomer-Golden Mystique by Coleman Lobell, has scored wins in four of his last five starts. Included in the victories are wins at Yonkers, Freehold and The Meadowlands.

Yannick Gingras will get his first assignment at Plainridge Monday afternoon behind Patio Pete.

A winner of over $312,000 in his career, Patio Pete has eight wins, five seconds and a third in 23 starts this year, netting $117,675 in purses.

The complete field for Monday’s Ron Pasquantonio Trot includes Patio Pate (Yannick Gingras) even, CC’s Chuckie T (Mark Beckwith) 6-1, Tagapine (Jim Marohn, Jr.) 3-1, Ben-Him (Tim Curtin) 15-1, Sent From Above (Drew Campbell) 7-2, Damon Runyon (David Ingraham) 9-2, Flapjack Attack (Scott Mongeon) 10-1 and Night’s Jazz (Steve Salerno) 12-1.

Also on the card is the highlight of the New England summer harness racing season, the $50,000 Bert Beckwith Memorial Pace, which headlines the Labor Day card at Plainridge Racecourse.

The Bert Beckwith Memorial Pace, an event that has drawn such horses as Horse of the Year Staying Together, Village Jiffy, Space Shuttle, Shady Daisy, Cambest Prince and Carlspur, will highlight the Monday afternoon card.

The entire field for the $50,000 Bert Beckwith Memorial, in post order includes Glen Mark Lucky (Mark Beckwith) 5-1, Silver D Moon (David Ingraham) 7-2, Art Attack (Ted Wing) 8-1, Carlspur (Steve Salerno) 9-2, Rob Roy Mattgregor (Yannick Gingras) 5-2, Whosurboy (Mike MacDonald) 12-1, Ashlee’s Big Guy (Tim Curtin) 15-1, Six Of Diamonds (Drew Campbell) 12-1 and Gene Carter (Tom Jackson) 10-1.

In addition to the Beckwith, the biggest event of the year on the Plainridge Racecourse menu, and the Pasquantonio, there will be three other major stakes events on the Labor Day card.

Also to be contested are the $25,000 Guy Smith Memorial Pace Final, $15,000 James Winters Memorial Pace and the $10,000 Jim Morrill Memorial Pace.

Kicking off the Labor Day festivities will be the induction of driver-trainer Greg Bowden to Plainridge’s Wall of Fame. Bowden, with more than 2,700 career driving victories and more than $5 million in purses earned, will join other New England racing legends on the Wall of Fame in ceremonies which will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Located conveniently between Boston and Providence, Plainridge Racecourse offers live racing three days per week and the most extensive simulcast menu of harness, thoroughbred and quarter horse racing in the country, seven days a week.