The third leg for two-year-old eligibles of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes were held on Monday (Oct. 16) at Plainridge Park and the roster of undefeated freshman participants was whittled down to two when the action concluded.
In the $75,000 pacing filly division, which was the first of two non-betting events, Every Mans Dream (Always B Miki-Lindys Nightmare) made it three in a row for her connections and she dominated her group once again.
Yannick Gingras took Every Mans Dream off the gate to third and waited until the field settled. He then brushed and crushed the lead before the half and the rest was history. Every Mans Dream was already pulling away at three-quarters and by the top of the stretch, had opened up four lengths on the field. Even as Gingras had her wrapped up, Every Mans Dream pulled away in the lane to an 8-1/4-length win in 1:53.4.
The win was the seventh lifetime for Every Mans Dream, who is owned by Thomas Dillon and Scott Dillon and trained by Ron Burke. The Dillon duo also bred their winner.
The other remaining unbeaten is Keep Asking (Chapter Seven-Sensibility), who took a $40,000 split of the trotting colts and geldings division.
Keep Asking and Scott Zeron sat second behind International Law (Yannick Gingras) through quarters of :29.4, :59.3 and 1:29.2 and then around the last turn into the stretch. At that point, Zeron tipped Keep Asking off the pylons to make his bid and at that moment, International Law made a break, leaving Keep Asking to coast to an easy 5-1/4-length win in 1:57.4, making it three straight in this series.
Keep Asking ($2.40) notched his fifth win in his last six starts for the ownership and breeding group of W Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, Jim Winske and the George Ducharme Stable. George Ducharme trains Keep Asking.
The other $40,000 male trotter split was won by Foreign Moni (International Moni-Dancing Coed), who didn’t disappoint as the heavy favourite.
Jay Randall had the lead with Foreign Moni as soon as the gate opened and dominated the field from there. After getting to three-quarters in a very measured 1:30.3, Foreign Moni scooted home under no duress whatsoever and won by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:59.4.
Owned and bred by his trainer George Ducharme in partnership with Jim Winske, Foreign Moni ($2.10) also earned the fifth win in his last six starts.
The $75,000 division for trotting fillies was an event filled race that saw untimely breaks lead to International View (International Moni-Snowblind Lindy) getting her first Massachusetts atakes victory with the upset.
International View and Jim Hardy got away fourth as the heavy post time favourite, Dawn Of Lindy (Yannick Gingras), made a break off the gate. While that was happening, International Gift (Scott Zeron) made the front and sped away to a three-length lead at the :28.4 first quarter. Positions remained unchanged to the five-eighths where the front-running International Gift made a break too, leaving The Great CB (Steve Smith) to take over the lead. At three-quarters, Hardy was rolling in the breeze with International View and they engaged The Great CB stride for stride around the last turn. When they straightened for home, International View got the edge and ended up on top by 1-1/4 lengths at the line in 1:58.1, which was a new lifetime mark.
International View ($32.20) is owned by Stephen Richard and trained by Jolene Andrews. International View was bred by K R Breeding.
Hardy and Andrews also teamed up to win the other non-betting event of the day, the $75,000 two-year-old colts and geldings pace, with Bang Ah Uey (Western Maverick-Caila Fra), who tripped-out to his first lifetime victory.
Rocknroll Lou (Yannick Gingras), who won his first two legs of this group, went right to the front and was tracked every step of the way by the pocket-sitting Bang Ah Uey. Rocknroll Lou went :28, :56.2 and 1:25 as his shadow, Bang Ah Uey, laid in wait. At the top of the stretch, Hardy made a right with Bang Ah Uey, drew alongside Rocknroll Lou and then looked him in the eye and went right on by to take his lifetime mark of 1:53.3.
Bang Ah Uey is owned by David Thibault, Paul Vacca and his driver Hardy. The trio also bred the gelding along with Ed Nowak Jr.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. and there will be a $43,378 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race six.
Also on Tuesday, the Massachusetts Sire Stakes three-year-olds will make their last preliminary starts with their third legs going postward. Then next week, the leaders from both age groups will compete in the $1.2 million finals that will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 24. Horsemen are reminded there will be a detention barn for the finals and all horses must be checked into the stable area at Plainridge Park no later than 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)