Plainville, MA — The field for the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot, which will be held at Plainridge Park on Sunday (July 23), has attracted nine top Open trotters — eight males and one mare. The biggest race of the year in Massachusetts has been carded as the ninth race on an 11-race card.

Hall of Fame trainer Ron Burke brings a lethal one-two punch to the Bay State in the $1.5 million earner It’s Academic along with stablemate Hillexotic. Plainridge regular and Massachusetts-bred Marquis Lafayette was awarded with an “at-large” entry, determined by the Harness Horseman’s Association of New England, the Hambletonian Society and Plainridge Park.

It’s Academic leads a potent pair of Ron Burke trainees in the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot.

The $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace features a select field of five vying for the top prize. Heading the field is trainer Nik Drennan’s Mikala, who just won the $159,000 Dorothy Haughton at the Meadowlands last Saturday (July 15) in a sizzling 1:47.4 mile, beating Grace Hill in deep stretch to take a new lifetime mark.

After her 1:47.4 win in the Dorothy Haughton, Mikala will take on four rivals in the Clara Barton Distaff. Lisa Photo.

Here are the full draws for both stakes:

$250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot

1. Kildare King (driver TBA, Christopher Beaver)
2. Rattle My Cage (Åke Svanstedt, Åke Svanstedt)
3. Marquis Lafayette (Bruce Ranger, Domenico Cecere)
4. Hillexotic (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
5. Herculisa (Austin Siegleman, Matty Medeiros)
6. Balenciaga (Mark MacDonald, Paul Kelley)
7. Delayed Hanover (Andy Miller, Kevin McDermott)
8. Asteroid (Dexter Dunn, Åke Svanstedt)
9. It’s Academic (David Miller, Ron Burke)

$100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace

1. Valar Dohaeris (Mark MacDonald, Åke Svanstedt)
2. Drama Act (David Miller, Ron Burke)
3. Max Contract (Andy Miller, Julie Miller)
4. Sweet Treasure (Yannick Gingras, Nancy Takter)
5. Mikala (George Brennan, Nik Drennan)

The estimated post time for the Clara Barton is 3:20 p.m., and the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot is slated to go off at 4:40 p.m. Post time for the first race at Plainridge Park on Spirit Sunday is 2 p.m.

To view Sunday’s complete entries, click the following link: Sunday Entries – Plainridge Park.