from RUS America

Fort Washington, MD — What a difference two days makes. When the entry box opened for the planned Nov. 15 RUS event at Rosecroft, only two horses were in the box so the race was postponed, to be contested in the spring. However, the riders were not to be denied so the race was carried over to Nov. 17 and lo and behold, the number of entries doubled to four. Not a full field, but a quartet of horses, of which three look able to challenge for the winner’s share of the $5,000 purse in this non-wagering event.

The field for the RUS America Trot, sponsored by the CSOA, MSBA, and MJC at Rosecroft are (in post position order):

P L Incoming: The outsider in this race, has a lone third at Afton, N.Y., to show in his abbreviated career of four starts. Prior to his last start at Tioga Downs, where he was race timed in 2:03.3, he was plagued with breaking issues. Sasha Moczulski, his regular rider, returns to race this 4-year-old altered son of Kadabra.

Hyway Marcus: One half of the Patti Harmon entry, Hyway Marcus, who made a break in his last start but managed to finish third before being disqualified at the Meadowlands, was full of himself in that race. Prior to that race, he was a 1:59.1 winner at Tioga Downs and was second in the RUS America Trot at Ocean Downs in July. His lifetime record is 4-2-1-0. Maria Buchanan once again gets the riding assignment.

In Nomine Patri: A newcomer to the RUS America series, this 8-year-old altered son of Credit Winner enters this race with an impressive resume of 3-2-0-0. Prior to this year, he was a victor during the Grand Circuit meet in Lexington with a 2:00.3 mile under saddle. This year, he has a win at Saratoga in 2:02 out of two starts. Emma Wahlberg picks up the mount from Ashley Eldred.

Funny Photo: The other half of the Harmon entry, this son of Classic Photo sports a record of 10-4-2-2 this year. Funny Photo has done most of his racing on the RUS New York fair circuit though he does have a 1:59.1 victory at Vernon Downs. He has a pair of seconds since entering the Harmon Stable, including finishing a far back second at the Meadowlands to Modest Prince who set the North American RUS race record. Sophie Engerran, a veteran of French monté racing prior to moving to the United States, is the rider-owner.

The RUS America Trot will be contested after the first wagering event on the evening program. First race post time is 6:40 p.m.