by Lynne Snierson, publicity director, Rockingham Park

Salem, NH — Jonathan Roberts celebrated Father’s Day in style at Rockingham Park on Sunday, June 17, winning six of the nine races in which he competed.

“I once won eight races on a single card at Rosecroft, but this is my first time winning this many on one day at Rockingham,” he said after posing for his sixth winner’s circle photo. “It’s not very hard to do when you’re driving very good stock that’s well trained and placed in the right spots.”

Roberts won the first race with Juicebox Danny ($3.40), the second with Awesome Glow ($5.40), the sixth with Skip Bo Rhule ($5.80), and then won the last three races on the 10-race card with Armbro Airborne ($2.80), Earl’s Charm K ($2.40), and Harmony Oaks Quest ($3.80). His stellar performance included both the early daily double ($9.80) and the late daily double ($6.40).

Last year on August 26, Roberts won five of the eight races in which he drove at Rockingham Park.

The record at Rockingham, which is in its 101st season, for most wins on a harness card on a single day is held by Bruce Ranger (2004) with eight, and Ranger and David Ingraham have each driven seven winners on a single card in recent years. Jockeys Rudy Baez (1991) and Willie Turnbull (1942) co-hold the record for riding seven winners on a single Thoroughbred card at The Rock.

Among Roberts’ six wins on Sunday, the featured ninth race $11,000 Trot with Earl’s Charm K was the most impressive. Earl’s Charm K, who established the Rockingham and New England all-age trot record of 1:54 last July, turned his race into a mere romp in the park as he cruised home in 1:56.3 to win going away by 8-1/4 lengths.

Earl’s Charm K, trained by Scott Rollins and owned by David McWhinnie, is now two-for-two at The Rock this year and is still clearly the best trotter on the grounds and in the region.

Live racing resumes on Wednesday (June 20) with post time of 1:05 p.m. Rockingham also offers full card Thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound simulcasting seven days per week, Texas Hold ‘Em poker Wednesdays through Sundays, and Bingo six nights per week.