Fort Washington, MD – The co-featured $10,000 races on Thursday (March 26) at Rosecroft Raceway — one each for pacing mares and trotters — both yielded repeat winners, as Phoenix Rising and Deadline Hall lived up to favored billing in their respective events.
In the female pace, even-money favorite Phoenix Rising and driver Corey Braden forged clear of Oh Ophelia (driven by Roger Plante Jr.) to seize early command, measured a :56.4 first half mile, then repelled a sustained challenge from 90-1 outsider D’applesrsweet (Mark Sheridan) on the far turn before evading a three-wide challenge from runner-up Go Now (William Carter) by 1-1/4 lengths to win in 1:53.1. Wise Professor (Jonathan Roberts) emerged from traffic to save third from a tiring Oh Ophelia.
Trainer Franklin Gannon III co-owns 29-time winner Phoenix Rising with Elizabeth Gannon. The 6-year-old Movie Idol-Scarlet Pandemic mare paid $4 to win.
In the trot, Deadline Hall and Jonathan Roberts yielded early control to 18-1 shot College Tuition (Eric Davis) before vacating the pocket to claim the lead after a :27.1 quarter. Once on top, Deadline Hall had full control of middle splits of :57.1 and 1:26.1 before sprinting clear of his pocket rival for a 2-length, 1:55 score as the 1-10 favorite. Dowedealinandwhy (Jared Moyer) was forced three-wide around a breaking Yall Just Love Me on the far turn, briefly bid for second at the eighth pole, but finished third after leveling off.
Trainer Michael Hall co-owns Deadline Hall, whose current three-race win streak brings his career total to 16, with Manklin Creek LLC. The 6-year-old Muscle Mass-Daylon Mystique gelding paid $2.20 to win.
PRESSEL BREAKS DRIVING MAIDEN: Kayla Pressel registered her first-ever driving win in the first of two $6,000 Grit and Grace Women’s Invitational events, achieving the accomplishment with All In Jest, whom she also trains for Patty Moyher. The 21-year-old Pennsylvania native angled All In Jest off the pegs from fourth with just over a half mile remaining, and the pair used a steady first-over ascent to overpower pacesetter Tater Tot Hanover (Amanda Blackford) at the eighth pole and evade a late rally from Ashtons Artillery (Brittany Bounds) by three-quarters of a length in 1:58.
Stacey McLenaghan won the other Grit and Grace division, rallying Lenda Hand Man from the pocket to edge pacesetter American Artist K (Nicky Ratledge) by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:55.2 for trainer Scott Warnick and owner Deborah Warnick.
WALTERS DOUBLES UP: Kyle Walters captured two of the evening’s three Mid-Atlantic Drivers Club events, steering Philip Kozak trainee Bungalow Bill N, who paid $5.80, to a 1:57.2 score; and engineering a 9-1 upset with Howard Birney trainee Everbridge ($20.60), who sustained an uncovered attack on Better Than Some before kicking 3-1/4 lengths clear of Foxbriar Remark to win in 1:54.3.
Live harness racing returns to Rosecroft on Monday (March 30); there will be a $1,362 carryover in the 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5, which is offered in the 13th and final race on the program. First post is 7:15 p.m. (EDT). For more information, including free past performance pages and the Players’ Guide tip sheet, visit www.rosecroft.com.