by Domenic Longobardi, for Plainridge Racecourse
Plainville, MA — The $10,000 Christ Decas Pace highlights the final card of the season this coming Tuesday afternoon at Plainridge Racecourse.
The high priced claiming event, which honors a former member of the Massachusetts Racing Commission, includes several finalists for Plainridge Racecourse’s Horse of the Year Award.
Bruce White and Nancy Longobardi’s Little Bossman, Classy Talker from the Joel Wheeler Stable and Callies Candyman, owned by Robert Boggian, all merit consideration for the year-end award.
Also part of the field is Scott Dillon and Robert Sumner’s Best After Midnite, who was recently named New England’s Pacer of the Year by a local writers group.
Tuesday’s co-featured event, another high priced claiming event, features New England’s winningest duo. Blue and Royal N, victorious in 14 local starts this season starts from post two in the season’s final race. Driver Drew Campbell, who has amassed nearly 300 wins while putting on a driving clinic throughout the region this year, gets the call for top trainer Marybeth Beauregard. Campbell needs less than 20 wins to reach the 1,000 plateau for his career.
On Monday afternoon the New England Harness Horsemen’s Association will present their year-end awards in the track’s winner’s circle throughout the card. Sent From Above, yet another candidate for Plainridge Horse of the Year, heads a field of nine in the $5,000 Open Trot.
Plainridge Racecourse will announce their year-end honors on Tuesday, at which time the track and the NEHHA will present joint awards to the meet’s leading driver and trainer.
Post Time for both Monday and Tuesday is 1:00 p.m.
2005 racing dates are announced
The Massachusetts State Racing Commission has awarded dates for the 2005 racing season in Massachusetts. Plainridge Racecourse applied for and was granted 106 racing days, four more than in 2004.
The 2005 schedule at Plainridge Racecourse will be April 4 through December 1, with live racing every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Post time will be 4:00 p.m. from April through August and 1:00 p.m. from September through December.
The 2004 season comes to a close next Tuesday, November 30. Simulcasting will continue seven days a week in the off season.