by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Breeders and Owners of Massachusetts

Plainville, MA — It’s not too often a driver wins half a card of racing but that’s just what Mitchell Cushing did on Thursday (Sept. 20) at Plainridge Park. Cushing drove six winners on the 12-race program including a victory in the $15,000 6-year-old and under condition pacing feature with Lear Seelster.

Tom Melanson photo

Lear Seelster was one of six winning drives for Mitchell Cushing.

Lear Seelster started from post two and stayed right there behind Tixnstones (Jim Hardy) who cut the mile. The race incrementally went :26.3, :56.1 and 1:24.1 under the challenge of an outer flow. But at the top of the lane it came down to Tixnstones and Lear Seelster and Cushing made the push that got the job done as Lear Seelster pulled away by a length to win in 1:52.3.

It was the seventh win of the year and a new lifetime mark for Lear Seelster ($5.00) who is owned by David Glazer and trained by Jim Nickerson.

Cushing also won with See Me Streakin (1:53.4, $13.40), Sports Lightning (1:51.4, $8.00), Jefferson Tare (1:52.2, $5.40), Manny (1:52.1, $3.00) and Siskel (1:52, $35.40).

In the 11 races Cushing drove, he also finished second and third twice each and combined with the six wins gave him an amazing Universal Driver Rating (UDR) of .707. Cushing is having a career year with 173 wins out of 788 starts earning $859,421 in purses and sporting a .363 UDR.

Plainridge Park is well represented in North American harness racing as three of the top 10 percentage drivers compete daily at The Ridge. Drew Campbell is second with a .420 UDR, Shawn Gray is fourth with a .390 UDR and Mitchell Cushing is ninth with a .363 UDR.

In the day’s top older pacing event, Quick Shot (Drew Campbell) went gate to wire to win the $14,000 Winners-Over Handicap in 1:51.2, holding off a late charge from Moonlight Artist (Shawn Gray) at the line to win by a head. Quick Shot captured his 10th win of the year and has now earned $96,060 for his owner Kathleen Brewer in 2018. John Bowman trains the winner.

Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon (Sept. 24) with post time at 2 p.m.