The seemingly ageless Calvin B just keeps on winning and, on Monday (Sept. 4) at Plainridge Park, he scored his 59th career victory in the featured $20,000 District 9 Pace and that pushed his lifetime bankroll to $508,933.
Calvin B (Matty Athearn) got away fourth and watched as General Ward (Brett Beckwith) and Miki U So Fine (Mitchell Cushing) traded leads to the half. At the five-eighths, Spatterdash (Mike Stevenson) went first-over and brought Calvin B along, drafting on his back. Spatterdah took the lead at three-quarters but couldn’t cross over to the pylons in front of Miki U So Fine in the last turn, so Calvin B was forced to go three-deep coming into the lane. With a full head of steam in the middle of the track, Athearn rocked Calvin B all the way home to a season’s best 1:52.2 win.
It was the third win of the year for the venerable 13-year-old Calvin B ($27.40), who is owned and trained by Gretchen Athearn.
In the second race of the day, 30-year-old Conor Brewer registered his first lifetime training win when Zippidy Zoom ($6.40) was victorious by a neck in 1:53.3 for driver Jay Randall. Brewer also owns the winner, who now has eight lifetime victories. He is the son of longtime horseman Artie Brewer.
In the $17,500 District 9 Pace, Finnbar (Jay Randall) got away sixth in the field of seven while Waves (Dan Tuccillo Jr.) clicked off quarters of :26.4 and :55.4 to the half. The outer flow formed there led by Star Island (Bruce Ranger), who was followed by Kick The Dirt Up (Mitchell Cushing) and Finnbar. The second tier began to fail and Waves was getting away from the group heading around the last turn. But Randall swung four-wide onto Highway 495 coming off that bend and had Finnbar pacing furiously. As they headed down the lane, Randall never touched Finnbar and let him pace out the mile on his own, which he did, on top by a neck in 1:53 flat.
It was the sixth win of the year for Finnbar ($11.80), who is owned and trained by Nancy Longobardi.
The secondary feature of the day was an $18,500 upper-level conditioned pace that was won by Bag Pipe Major (Bruce Ranger), who sat third as a headstrong Little Willy (Brett Beckwith) went :26 and :54.2 to the half. Ranger pulled Bag Pipe Major at that station and motored up the rim and eventually drew alongside Little Willy in the last turn. At the top of the stretch, Ranger asked for more and Bag Pipe Major delivered, passing Little Willy and then holding off the late-closing East End (Nick Graffam) and Jo Pas Warrior (Mitchell Cushing) to win in 1:51.3.
It was the third win of the year for Bag Pipe Major ($5.20), owned by Jan Donaway. Elisha Lafreniere was the winning trainer.
Drivers Brett Beckwith, Jay Randall, Mitchell Cushing and Bruce Ranger and trainer Gretchen Athearn all had two wins apiece during the afternoon.
The Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta was hit in race six on Monday and the combination of 6-7-5-2-1 returned $2,290.96 for a 20-cent wager.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday (Sept. 4) at 2 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)