Plainville, MA — Alex Having Fun has been one of the best resident top-end pacers at Plainridge Park for several years now, and the 9-year-old just hit his peak on Thursday (June 4) after he won the featured $25,000 Open Handicap Pace in 1:48.3 in a major upset at 22-1, taking a new lifetime mark and setting a new track record for older pacing geldings.
Matty Athearn slid Alex Having Fun into the pocket behind a determined Jamaican Rock A (Chris Long), who flashed fast fractions of :25.4, :53.4 and 1:20.3 while Alex Having Fun drafted the entire time. Jamaican Rock A continued to lead as they entered the last turn, but before they spun out of it, Athearn had Alex Having Fun in the two-path and raging with pace. At the top of the stretch, Alex Having Fun blew by the leader and stretched out to an easy 2-length win.
It was the third win in a row and 45th career tally for Alex Having Fun ($46.60), who is approaching $500,000 in career earnings for owner/trainer Kimberly Vafiades.
A race later, in the $25,000 upper-level conditioned pace, Hes Coming On (Mitchell Cushing) took a similar path to victory as he sat in the garden spot behind Stellar Yankee (Ron Cushing) to the half in :54.2 before Jettingtomalibu (Kevin Switzer Jr.) moved first-over and pushed the leader to three-quarters in 1:21.3. Positions remained unchanged to the top of the stretch, where Hes Coming On found room at the pegs, bolted through to the lead, and then held off the fast-closing Confederatestar N (Athearn) to win by a neck in 1:50.1.
It was the second win in a row and fourth of the year for Hes Coming On ($20.80), who is owned by George Anthony Jr. and trained by Julia Eaton.
Two other notable performances saw horses take lifetime marks in upper-level conditioned action.
Franco Tyson A ($39.40) won in 1:49.1 for owner/trainer/driver Larry Stalbaum, and So Rock N Roll ($10.60) scored a 1:50.3 win with Nick Graffam at the lines for trainer Benson Merrill and owner Leighton Property.
Drivers Athearn, Mitchell Cushing, Graffam and Jay Randall all had two wins apiece on Thursday while 10 different trainers each won one race on the program.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday (June 5) at 4 p.m.; there will be a $36,280 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 in race 6.
Free full-card past performance programs and replays for every card of racing at Plainridge Park can always be accessed at plainridgeparkcasino.com.