by Joe Hartmann, for Plainridge Racecourse
Plainville, MA –– Young trotters and pacers will dominate action over the next three Monday afternoons at Plainridge Racecourse as a pair of late closing series get underway this week.
Top young pacers will go into action in the first leg of the Starsearch Pace with a field of nine going to the gate in the fifth race on Monday afternoon’s 10 race program.
In the sixth race, eight trotters will take the test in the opening leg of the Summer Solstice Series.
Both series will continue with second leg action on June 14 with the finals being held on June 21.
A pair of Todd O’Dea owned and trained trotters will highlight the first leg of the Summer Solstice with both Master Zig and Yonder Hall coming into series action off wins. In fact Yonder Hall will be looking for his third consecutive victory Monday afternoon. Bruce Ranger will drive Classic Original, looking for his first career victory.
In the opening leg of the Starsearch Series, Jason’s Jiffy and Drew Campbell come into series action off a third place finish in their last start, while Ranger will counter with Everythings OK N, a 1:593 victor in his last appearance.
On Tuesday afternoon, Carol Karter’s Sir Clayton, a four-year-old gelded son of Striking Sahbra, goes for his eighth win of the year when he takes on a field of eight including Pompano star and former track record holder Flashy Message in the $7,000 Open Trot, one of the co-features on the twilight program.
In the $7,000 Open Pace, Karter’s Satin Time N, trained by Larry Nichols and driven by Bruce Ranger, will be looking for his sixth victory of the season in the ninth race on the program.
A model of consistency, Satin Time N already has a 1:531 victory at Plainridge this season and has been on the board in 11 of 22 outings against top pacers at both Plainridge and Pompano Park.
In the Open Pace, Satin Time N will have to challenge Master Mover A. Owned by Patricia Sumner, trained by Matt Medeiros and driven by Bobby Sumner, Master Mover A won last week’s Open Pace in a seasonal best of 1:533 over the lightning fast Plainridge Racecourse surface.
Also on the Tuesday afternoon card will be the $5,000 final of the 3-4 The Money Series for claiming pacers.
Gene and Debra Willis’ Harley David, with Brad Irvine driving, edged Eicarls Ramrod and Ron Cushing by a neck in last week’s second leg and the pair are expected to renew their rivalry in the series final, the opening race on the 12 race twilight program.
Located conveniently between Boston and Providence, Plainridge Racecourse offers live racing three days per week and the most extensive menu of harness, thoroughbred and quarter horse racing in the country, seven days a week. Post time Monday, Tuesday and Saturday afternoons is 4:00 p.m.