by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Masschusetts

Plainville, MA — Fresh off a victory at Yonkers Raceway last Friday (May 12), Tag Up And Go made his third visit of the year to Plainridge Park worthwhile by turning a garden spot trip into a win in the $13,000 Open Handicap trot on Thursday afternoon (May 18).

Tom Melanson photo

Tag Up And Go captures his fifth win of the season in the Plainridge feature on Thursday evening.

It was a three-horse breakaway at the start as Mistress Valentine (Mark Eaton) parked out Tag Up And Go (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) and seated Waiting On A Woman heading around the first turn. No sooner did the trotters hit the quarter in :26.3, Tag Up And Go took the lead and was immediately challenged and passed by Waiting On A Woman.

Things settled down a bit in the second panel but at the half, Tuscanellie (Jim Hardy) pulled first-over and rushed up alongside Waiting On A Woman and prompted that one to a 1:24.1 three-quarters. That move cost the hard-used leader when they turned for home.

At the top of the lane Waiting On A Woman tired and drifted off the pylons, giving Tag Up And Go a clear path to the wire. But Tuscanellie was still full of trot on the outside and Hardy was driving her hard in the middle of the track. Tuscanellie put up quite a fight, but Tag Up And Go benefited from a perfect trip and out-sprinted the game mare to the wire, winning by a length in 1:55.2.

It was the fifth win of the year for Tag Up And Go ($4.40) and it raised his 2017 earnings to $68,200 for owners Lester Gelardi and Anthony Passafaro. The 7-year-old gelded son of Angus Hall is trained by the meet’s leading conditioner, Monique Cohen.

In the co-featured $10,000 conditioned trot, One Swan For All (Wally Watson) was parked-out for three-quarters of the mile en route to a one-length victory in 1:55.4 over Ugly Stick (Ron Cushing), who was rimmed second-over behind the winner.

One Swan For All ($6.00) is owned by Joel Wheeler and is trained by Lisa Watson.

Mark Athearn and Wally Watson scored driving doubles while Gretchen Athearn and Lisa Watson trained those respective winners.

The “Wicked Hi-5” pentafecta was hit in the sixth race and the one-dollar, 5-7-4-8-1 combination paid out an instant jackpot of $28,987.

Live racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.