Fort Washington, MD – Spring Blake made easy work of his seven rivals in Monday’s (Jan. 19) $12,000 Open Handicap Pace at Rosecroft Raceway, securing control of the terms early and evading pocket rival A Major Attitude for a 1:52.3 score in the opening-night feature — his fourth in a row against Rosecroft’s top pacers.
Assigned the outside post 8, Spring Blake and driver Russell Foster pushed clear of A Major Attitude (driven by Justin Walters) and On The Cards N (Roger Plante Jr.) midway around the first turn. After a :27.3 first quarter, Spring Blake pulled the half back to :57.2, only to accelerate again up the backstretch to evade a mild first-over bid from Rebellious (William Carter) through the 1:24.3 three-quarters.
The 5-year-old Courtly Choice-Spring Break ridgling had no trouble sealing victory, only needing mild encouragement to hold off an inside bid from A Major Attitude by 1-1/4 lengths. On The Cards N was an even third after saving ground throughout the mile.
Johnny Crites Jr. owns and trains 17-time winner Spring Blake, who paid $4 to win as the even-money favorite.
‘GRAND’ OPENING FOR PLANTE: Roger Plante Jr. led all drivers with four wins on the 13-race card. In addition to winning the sub-featured $9,000 top-level conditioned pace with Andrew Fulton trainee Layton Hanover (1:51.4, $3), Plante reached the winner’s circle with BR Kruser (1:55.1, $15), Run Around John (1:57.1, $8.20) and Big Dream Fella (1:54, $10.20).
Foster scored a driving hat trick; Crites and Jason Walters led all trainers with two wins apiece.
IT PAYS TO PLAY THE PICK-4: Thanks to beaten favorites and the reduced 15% takeout, both Pick-4 wagers on the card yielded healthy returns on modest investments. The Early Pick-4 combination of 9/4/2/1, with winners’ odds of 6-1, 2-1, 3-1 and 7-2, returned $670.20 on a 50-cent ticket; while the Late Pick-4 combination of 6/6/1/3, with winners’ odds of 3-1, 4-1, 20-1 and 1-2, paid $1,118.60.
Live racing returns to Rosecroft on Thursday (Jan. 22) with a 13-race card and an $853.53 carryover in the 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5, offered in the final race. First post is 7:15 p.m. (EST).
For more information, including free past performance pages, the Players’ Guide tip sheet, and live and archived video, visit www.rosecroft.com.