Fort Washington, MD – On the heels of a 1:58.2 first-round win, Richard Hans’ homebred And Just Like That became the fastest ever 2-year-old trotting filly in the history of Rosecroft Raceway with a devastating 1:55 victory in her $10,000 second-round Maryland Sire Stakes preliminary event on Monday (Sept. 29).
In line to Johnathan Ahle, the Betting Gangster S-Gooreatness filly led runner-up Progressivekathy (driven by Russell Foster) by open lengths through splits of :28.4, :57.3 and 1:25.4 before a :29.1 final sectional left her 12-1/4 lengths clear of Progressivekathy for her fifth win from six career starts. The final time of 1:55 took 1-1/5 seconds off the previous divisional track record, set by Hall of Famer CR Kay Suzie in 1994.
And Just Like That has now earned $73,500 in her career, and she carries a five-race win streak into next week’s Maryland Sire Stakes fall championship.
Better Gon ran his career undefeated record to six-for-six with a 1:56.3 win in the first split for 2-year-old male pacers. Russell Foster rated the More The Better N-Graygon gelding through splits of :28.3, :58.2 and 1:27.2 before steadily pulling clear in the home straight to defeat Michelle’s Kyle (Jared Moyer) by 5-3/4 lengths. Adrain Wisher Jr. trains the earner of $81,412 for Frederick Weitz Jr.
Inca Social and Roger Plante Jr. stalked patiently from third before emerging in the stretch to take the other male pacing split, edging pocket rival Dapperfly by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.3. Howard Birney owns and trains the Nuclear Breeze-Tom’s Twinkle gelding, who also swept his preliminary divisions and has banked $28,626.
That’sloveto became a repeat winner in the 2-year-old pacing filly bracket by way of a front-end 1:56.4 score over I’m Feeling Spicy. Ahle drove the Dapper Dude-I Cant Stoplovinu filly to her third career win for owner/trainer/breeder Dominik Miga.
Miss Val’s Way captured the other filly pace, stalking fast fractions before emerging in the stretch to win in 1:56 over More Than Better. Plante drove the More The Better N-Miss Valerie filly to her second career win for trainer Steve LeBlanc and the partnership of LeBlanc Racing, William Lutz Jr. and Count De Money Stable.
Flyin Wizard and Corey Braden rounded out the sextet of Sire Stakes winners on the program, holding off a late charge from 1-20 favorite Booger Bear (Ahle) by a neck for a maiden-breaking 1:58.4 victory. Ron Millman trains the Il Mago-Parker Fly gelding for owner Scott Woogen.
The Maryland Sire Stakes fall championships for 2-year-olds, which will go for an estimated $95,000 per division, are scheduled for next Monday (Oct. 6).
Live racing returns to Rosecroft on Thursday (Oct. 2) with a $3,392.71 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5, offered in race 10. First post for the 13-race card is 7:15 p.m. (EDT).