Fort Washington, MD — After being defeated in four straight starts, Phoenix Rising landed back in the Rosecroft Raceway winner’s enclosure after a pillar-to-post 1:53.2 win in Wednesday’s (April 16) featured $10,500 winners-over distaff pace.
In line to Frank Milby from the pole position, Phoenix Rising asserted herself in the first furlong to seat Dice Dice Baby (Roger Plante Jr.) and Talk Show Chica (Corey Braden) in a three-mare battle for control.
After a :26.2 first quarter, Phoenix Rising traveled unopposed through middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.2. The 5-year-old Movie Idol-Scarlet Pandemic mare shrugged off a mild challenge from the first-over Auntmilly’smartini (Jonathan Roberts) midway on the final turn before coasting to a hand-driven 2-3/4 length victory. Dice Dice Baby was all-out to protect second over Isla Seelster (Adrian Wisher Jr.), who circled stalled cover and finished third.
Trainer Franklin Gannon III co-owns 20-time winner Phoenix Rising, who paid $3.00 to win as the 1-2 favorite, with Elizabeth Gannon.
The sub-featured $9,000 top-level conditioned trot saw Blue Bayou Deo ($3.80) and Roberts angle off the pegs from sixth with nine-sixteenths to go and close steadily into a protracted duel between Timestorm and Mind Yown Business before rallying three-wide off the home turn to defeat Timestorm by a half-length in 1:56.1 for trainer Alexandra Goldin and owner Spencer Goldin.
The father-son team of trainer Billy Carter and driver William Carter teamed up to win with Alexandria’s Dream (1:55.3, $9.40) and Emmy Lou Hayes (1:54.4, $7.40). Billy Carter capped a training triple with Classic (1:54.3, $16.00), whom Kevin Altig drove to a 3-3/4 length score in a Mid-Atlantic Drivers Club event. William Carter also partnered with 58-1 shot Hungry Cougar (1:56, $119.20) and Summer Dreams (1:56, $3.20) to lead all drivers with four wins on the 13-race program.
Live racing returns to Rosecroft on Monday (April 21) with a pair of carryovers: $194.98 in the Pick-5 (races 3-7) and $368.08 in the Jackpot Hi-5 (race 10). First post is 7:15 p.m. (EDT).