by Pete Medhurst, for Rosecroft Raceway

Ft. Washington, MD — Rosecroft’s leading driver Frank Milby scored a hat trick on the Sunday night (April 22) card in Fort Washington, Md., as he guided Abelard Hanover to a win in the $11,000 Maryland Open Handicap.

Milby now has a meet best 41 wins.

The 10-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover picked up career win 52 and his lifetime earnings now sit at $757,082. Milby outsprinted Hickory Aloha to the opening quarter in :26.1 and rolled on in :55.1, 1:22.4 and finished the mile in 1:51 to win by just over two lengths. Hickory Aloha (Timmy Offutt) held for second and Whirl Monroe (Russell Foster) was third.

Milby also scored with his own trainee, Artic Adventure, who sprinted to a 1:53.1 score for his mom, Candy Milby. The $80,000 Lexington Selected purchase who did not start as a 2-year-old, is now three-for-four in his brief career.

Milby also took a picture with Beammeupscottie for owner Gloria Kinnamon and trainer Jamie Vance, winning in 1:53.2.

Gene Long made a triumphant return to the Rosecroft winner’s circle with a terrific drive aboard Wet Shark in race five. Five horses heading to the three-quarter pole were either three-wide or four-wide and Long who was well positioned off the fifth from post seven, sat patient and weaved through the carnage to the inside and was the fresh shooter in the stretch and caught the pacesetting Tom’s Titan at the line in 1:55. It was the first win of the year for the 5-year-old Shadyshark Hanover gelding in his first start for new owner-trainer Melissa Smith.

Ricky Still had a driving double, winning race three with DBS Rosco in his debut for owner-trainer Brittany Bounds and race four with No Humble Jumble for owner-trainer Jason Walters.