After two unsuccessful starts at Plainridge Park earlier this month, the third time's the charm for Chapheart, who rationed out the speed and won easily in Monday’s (July 31) $22,500 feature trot.
Brett Beckwith made the front quickly with Chapheart and set fractions of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:25.1, with only a mild bid from behind by Sidd Finch (Drew Campbell). Chapheart rounded the last turn and started to pull away in the stretch. With only a reminder tap from Beckwith, Chapheart motored to the line on top by 3-3/4 lengths in 1:54, which was his seasonal best time.
It was a career-high sixth win of the year for Chapheart ($3.40), who is owned by Fac Racing and Yannick Gingras. Melissa Beckwith trains the winner.
Driver Bruce Ranger was on a tear Monday, winning five races during the afternoon. He captured both $18,500 sub-features with Sonnys Moni (1:55.1, $2.40) and Breckenridge (1:55, $3) and then completed the quintet with Jericho (1:56.1, $9.40), The Wise One (1:55.1, $4.60) and Clean Shave (1:54.4, $13.40). Ranger is currently in first place for dash wins with 88 and after the conclusion of today’s card, has already surpassed $1 million in purse earnings at Plainridge this year.
A trio of three-year-old Massachusetts-bred trotters who will be competing in the Massachusetts Sire Stakes this fall, all scored big wins on Monday as they got in some early work in preparation for those stakes.
Poppy Wow (Crazy Wow-Tori Hall) won in her lifetime best time of 1:57.1 for driver/trainer Ivan Davies; the aforementioned The Wise One (Muscle Hill-Grandmas Moni) captured her fourth win of the year in 1:55.1 with Ranger driving for trainer Domenico Cecere; and Bravado (Trixton-Bourbon N Grits) got his third straight victory and fourth of the year in 1:57.2 for Nick Graffam, who drove for trainer George Ducharme.
The Massachusetts Sire Stakes start on Monday, Sept. 25 and run through Tuesday, Oct. 24, when the finals are contested.
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 4 p.m. and there will be a $6,555 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race six.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)