After scoring an impressive victory in the 2023 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot that saw him grinding uncovered from the half to the wire, It’s Academic returns to Plainridge Park on Sunday (July 21) to try and repeat in this year’s edition of the $250,000 trotting classic as one of nine starters who will make up the full field going postward.
Category: Newsroom
Freshman colt trotters head to Buckeye Stallion Series
Four divisions of freshman colt trotters will wrap up the first leg in the Buckeye Stallion Series for 2-year-olds Wednesday night (July 17) at MGM Northfield Park. Each of the four divisions will carry a purse of $20,000.
Tuggin On My Heart threepeats in Aces top Open pace
The feature race on the Tuesday night (July 16) program at Running Aces was the $15,500 Open handicap Pace with a field of seven very talented contenders.
Deebo Hanover, Primo Maschio take Ocean series splits
Forrest Bartlett’s Deebo Hanover made every pole a winning one in his defeat of first-round winner Little Instigator in his $8,500 second-round division of the Bucky Gray Jr. Memorial on Tuesday (July 16) at Ocean Downs. Primo Maschio won the other division of the series for 2-year-old pacers.
Homebreds sweep Buckeye Stallion Series races at Scioto
All four $20,000 divisions of the Buckeye Stallion Series were won by owners who also bred their 2-year-old trotting fillies. Joyce McClelland took half of the events held Tuesday (July 16) at Eldorado Scioto Downs when her horses Travel Nurse and Aunt Laura lowered their lifetime marks.
Pioneer As prevails in Oak Grove Open; Bender, Miller repeat for season titles
Pioneer As powered forward from the outermost post and lasted to the line to grab the victory in the $60,000 Open Trot — the featured race on the closing-day card at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel on Tuesday (July 16).
Boston Rocks first at Pocono Tuesday
A fierce summer storm swept through northeast Pennsylvania just before the $17,000 featured pace at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania Tuesday(July 16) afternoon, causing a delay before the race. But when the feature field did come to the track, the Boston Red Rocks sophomore colt Boston Rocks showed no ill effects from being kept waiting, coming his last half in :54.4 to lower his mark to 1:51.4 despite the “sloppy” going.
Jay Randall scores career win 5,000 at Plainridge Park
When driver Jay Randall won the fourth race with Sweet Street Lou (1:54.4, $8.60) at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (July 16) afternoon, he reached the 5,000 win plateau for his career that now spans 46 years.
Spirit of Massachusetts Trot draws full field of nine
The draw is complete and a full field of nine top-flight Open trotters will go postward in the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot at Plainridge Park on Sunday (July 21) afternoon.
Signature Series Pace at Crawford County Fair
This Wednesday’s (July 7) $5,000 Signature Series Pace at the Crawford County Fair (post time 6:00 p.m., the first of the two days of racing) has a field of six which includes Ameer Najor’s venerable 14-year-old gelding Southwind Amazon.