Fort Washington, MD – Sent off at 19-1, Phoenix Rising did the heaviest lifting in Thursday’s (Feb. 12) $9,000 distaff pacing feature at Rosecroft Raceway through a long first-over grind but ultimately shared top honors with 1-5 favorite Peace Talks, who fanned off live cover to force a dead heat.
Oh Ophelia (driven by Roger Plante Jr.) drilled a :26.4 first quarter before pulling the half back to :58. With a circuit to go, Phoenix Rising (Corey Braden) angled out of fifth and steadily advanced in the breeze up the backstretch with Peace Talks (Jonathan Roberts) latching onto live cover.
Oh Ophelia rose to Phoenix Rising’s challenge and accelerated through a :28 third quarter, only to be worn down off the corner for home as Phoenix Rising edged clear. Peace Talks found her fastest gear in mid-stretch and lifted to meet Phoenix Rising at the winning post for a shared 1:54.2 victory. Oh Ophelia held third, beaten 4-1/4 lengths.
Michael Hall trains Peace Talks, a 5-year-old American Ideal-Triple V Hanover mare who paid $2.10 to win, for John Littleton Jr.
Trainer Franklin Gannon III shares ownership of Phoenix Rising, a 6-year-old Movie Idol-Scarlet Pandemic mare who paid $9.20 to win, with Elizabeth Gannon.
Peace Talks’ shared win in the distaff feature gave Roberts one of five driving wins on the 13-race card. The 45-year-old reinsman teamed up with Hall to win with Wise Professor (1:56.1, $2.10) and Villannah (1:56.2, $7), and he also won with Bib Roberts trainee Judge Bob (1:57.1, $3.60) and Johnny Crites Jr. trainee Miss Chantilly N (1:56.3, $5.40).
Live harness racing returns to Rosecroft on Monday (Feb. 16) with a 13-race card and a $14,378.42 carryover in the 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5, offered in the final race. First post is 7:15 p.m. (EST).