A big day was had by driver Ron Cushing, trainer Heidi Cushing and owner Kevin Sywyk on Thursday, Nov. 16 at Plainridge Park after combining for a hat trick of winners -- two in career-best miles and including both top condition races on the card.
In the $22,500 upper-level condition, Cushing got away a distant fifth with Alta Classic A while Lifes A Puzzle (Richard Humphrey) sizzled to the half in :54 flat. Always A Miki (Matty Athearn) was first to pull and Alta Classic A was quick to follow. Always A Miki got the lead at three-quarters and Alta Classic A moved into second at the top of the stretch. Those two tangled all the way down to the line where Alta Classic A got up by a quarter-length to win in 1:50.3 and take a new lifetime mark.
It was the fourth win in the first six North American starts for Alta Classic A ($4.20), who is owned by his driver Cushing and Sywyk.
In the other $22,500 division of the same class, Cushing made a first-over move with Nineteenth Man A and approached the front-running Sundown Kid (Jay Randall) past the half. When they hit three-quarters, Nineteenth Man A took the lead on the outside and then pulled away to a 4-1/4-length victory in 1:52.
Nineteenth Man A ($4.80) is owned by his driver Cushing, Sywyk and Lance Downs.
Then they capped off their triple in the $18,500 mid-level condition with Dontbothermenone N, who went right to the front and cut fractions of :26.1, :54.4 and 1:22.4 before turning for home to hold off a quick-closing Paternity Suit A (Matty Athearn) and win by one-quarter length in 1:51.3, which was also a new lifetime mark.
It was the seventh win of the year for Dontbothermenone N ($18), who is owned by the Cushing/Sywyk duo.
The Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta was hit in the ninth race on Thursday. The combination of 4-1-5-6-2 returned $1,984.48 for a 20-cent wager.
Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Friday, Nov. 17 with post time at 1 p.m.
(With files from Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)