With the Massachusetts Sire Stakes on hiatus this week, several eligible horses were in overnight events to stay sharp when the big money is back on the table next Sunday (Oct. 16). Two of those entrants were three-year-old pacing fillies who both scored impressive victories while taking lifetime marks in the process.
In the $13,500 condition for five-year-old and under pacing females, Shakeitoffscarlet went right for the lead, set solid fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:25.3 before turning for home and holding off the tripped-out Always Beachy to win by a neck in a career-best 1:54.4.
Shakeitoffscarlet is owned by KDK Standardbreds and is trained by Elisha Lafreniere. Kevin Switzer Jr. drove the $3.80 winner.
Switzer and Lafereniere later won with Mossdale Lotte N (1:54.4 winning mile, $3.20 to win) and Sweet Sally Sue (1:52.4, $4.40) to register a driver-trainer hat trick for the afternoon. Sweet Sally Sue’s win was her fourth in a row,
Then later in the $11,000 condition for four-year-olds and under, Halleysbigcomet also used a front-stepping performance to beat five opposing fillies. Halleysbigcomet easily cut the half in :56.3 with Little Judith in pursuit before picking up the pace and extending her lead to three lengths at the head of the stretch. Heading for home, Campbell let the filly go and she paced away to a 6-1/2-length victory in 1:54.1, lowering her lifetime mark by three full seconds.
Halleysbigcomet is owned by Kevin Gee and Robert Kopack and is trained by Randy Bickmore. Drew Campbell drove the $3.40 winner.
Campbell and Bickmore also teamed up to win with Dark As Night (1:55.2, $2.10) who stormed off the screen by 7-1/2 lengths to claim his first win.
The $17,500 feature race for distaff pacers went to Mexican Hanover and driver Luke Hanners, who moved second over at three-quarters behind Roaring Kitty in pursuit of the front-stepping Skyler Hanover. Then, Mexican Hanover caught Roaring Kitty at the line by a neck to win in 1:53.2.
Mexican Hanover ($14.20) is owned by Marc Reynolds and Rick Cortese and is trained by Jimmy Nickerson. She paid $14.20 to win.
Nickerson and Hanners joined the “double club” by adding Flying Formation (1:58.2, $2.60) to the win column after he got his first lifetime victory by seven open lengths.
Live racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon (Oct. 10) at 2 p.m. (EDT).
(Plainridge Park)