By Daina Kazmaier, Rosecroft Publicity Office

FT. WASHINGTON, MD – Justasplashofwhite [$2.20, $2.10, $2.10], a five-time winner in as many lifetime starts, was victorious in a division of the Maryland Standardbred Race Fund worth $17,700 on Saturday at Rosecroft Raceway.

Driven by regular driver Victor Kirby, the freshman Shotgun Scott filly paced on the front-end through fractions of 28.1, 58.0 and 1:27.1 and held strong as the 1-9 betting favorite to win by a length and a half in 1:55.1. Trained by Jeff Long, the filly upped her bankroll to well over $43,000 with this win.

“She’s a pleasure to work with,” trainer Long said when asked about the filly. “I like to get up and go to the barn when I have a horse like this.”

“I have to give a lot of credit to Vic (Kirby),” Long continued. “She’s not the easiest thing to manage on the track, but those two got together like two peas in a pod.”

Long considers the long-term when planning his training regimen. “We skipped the Race Fund leg at Ocean Downs. She had a tough trip from the eight hole just before that race, and it’s important to look at the entire season. Having a two-year-old race at this level, she’s just a freak of nature. She’s a good athlete.”

Double Flip [$2.20, $2.10] finished second to Justasplashofwhite with John Wagner at her lines. The daughter of Badlands Hanover, owned by the Winbak Farm and John and Earl Wagner, got a pocket trip behind the winner and challenged in the stretch with a 28.1 final quarter. Double Flip won her last start in 1:56.1 after wiring the field from post three.

Temptress Tracey [$6.00] was far back in third. The Allamerican Ingot filly owned by Crystal Brown, William Stephenson and trainer Joe MacDonald held her own along the rail but never managed to catch up to the leaders. Bill Long drove the filly to a third place finish in the $25.20 trifecta.

In the fifth race, Extremely Powerful [$12.00, $4.40, $3.00] pulled a minor upset to win in 1:58.1. The two-year-old Powerful Toy pacing filly took home half of the $17,700 purse with Bill Long in the sulky. Racing for the Newman Racing Stable and the Sampson Street Stables, Extremely Powerful sat in the pocket behind leader Lady Down The Hall (Joe Offutt) and rallied in the stretch to take her first lifetime victory. Trained by Steve Leblanc, Extremely Powerful was well rated through the mile to win by a length.

Tell Hillary [$2.80, $2.10], the post time favorite for owner/trainer/driver Donnie Russell, attempted to nose out the leader in the stretch with a first-over brush. The daughter of Misfit, also co-owned by Edward Needle, tired late and came home in 30.2.

After cutting the mile, Lady Down The Hall [$4.20] held on for third in the $146.80 trifecta.

The two-year-old colts and geldings took center stage in the seventh race, and Southern Myles [$2.80, $2.60, $2.10] was at the top of his game once again for a win. Racing for a purse of $17,000, the Nuclear High colt took the lead with a bold quarter-pole move and never looked back. Expertly driven by the nation’s leading dash driver Tony Morgan, the Richard Hans trainee paced the mile in an easy 1:57.1. Owned by Gerald Kelly, Southern Myles has a lifetime mark of 1:53.1 set at Rosecroft earlier in the summer.

Pricey Petrol [$4.60, $2.20] came close to earning his first lifetime win with a strong second-over challenge in front of driver Victor Kirby. The Badlands Hanover colt, owned by Henry Faragalli III, Henry Faragalli Jr. and trainer Del Cote, closed with a 28.4 final quarter to miss by half of a length.

General Nelson [$2.20] finished third for driver John Wagner. The trifecta paid $26.40.

Rounding out the evening of exciting stakes action was another $17,000 division for two-year-old pacing geldings. Winning King [$13.60, $4.60, $3.00], with the help of lasix for the first time, closed well in the stretch to win in 1:57.0. Owned by Pamela Wagner, the wife of driver John Wagner, the Riverboat King colt set a new lifetime mark. Trained by Manley Brown, Jr., Winning King now sports a line of 2-1-2 across the board from nine lifetime starts.

Paul The Powerful [$7.60, $3.80] was second under the guidance of driver Tony Morgan and Jesse’s Bad Boy [$4.40] closed out the $392.00 trifecta with Donnie Russell at his lines.

On Tuesday evening, Maryland Sire Stakes races return to the Rosecroft oval with two early divisions beginning at 5:00 p.m. Each of the four preliminary events holds a purse of $3,000 and will feature two- and three-year old trotting colts, geldings and fillies.

The early races, both for freshman trotting fillies, include: Go Get Blanche (Dan Myer), Teenie Beanie (Donnie Russell), Secret Impression (Corey Braden) and Struttin Gabi (Bill Long) in the first; and Whitesville Filly (David Hill III), Mandas Mistyclover (Cliff Green), Country Cookie (Corey Callahan), Double Time (Gene Daisey Sr.) and Beautiful Dreamer (Corey Braden) in the second.

In the first pari-mutuel race of the night, High Five is set to open on the board as the 6-5 choice. The two-year-old Go Get Lost colt has won each of the preliminary division of the Maryland Sire Stakes at Rosecroft and has a mark of 2:01.2. Trainer Gary Messenger will drive for owner Scott Woogen.

In the third race, the Syl King, Jr. owner entry is the overwhelming 1-5 early morning line choice. Misty Moonlight, a three-year-old gelded son of Go get Lost, has been clearly the best in each of his Sire Stakes starts at Rosecroft. Misty Moonlight has a mark of 1:58.4 and will leave the gate from post two with Manley Brown, Jr. in the sulky.

Entry mate A Century Later drew post seven and will be drive by Donnie Russell. Also a gelding by Go Get Lost, the trotter took a mark of 2:01.4 this year at Rosecroft, and has been on the board four of 10 seasonal starts.

Post time for the pari-mutuel card will be 5:35 p.m. at Rosecroft on Tuesday.