Nows The Moment continued his domination at Plainridge Park after winning his third-consecutive $20,000 Open Handicap trot on Thursday afternoon (Sept. 15).
Following a winning strategy, Kevin Switzer Jr. bolted to the lead once again with Nows The Moment and glided peerlessly through the remainder of the contest. After hitting the quarter in :27.1 on top by 1-1/2 lengths, Nows The Moment extended that lead to two at the half in :55.4 and maintained it to three-quarters in 1:24.1 while Remember Titans and Joxster were trying to keep up. When he hit the top of the stretch, Nows The Moment was pulling away by three and Switzer wrapped his trotter up as he approached the line where he won by 2-3/4 lengths over a late closing Queen Of All.
It was the fifth win of the year, all at Plainridge Park for Nows The Moment who has now banked $66,850 in only 10 starts in 2022 for owner Sonya Mac Donald. Allison Mac Donald trains the $3.80 winner.
It was a clean sweep for Massachusetts-bred trotters in the $15,000 Wood End Light for two-year-olds earlier in the card. Heavy post-time favourite The Wise One (Bruce Ranger) took the early lead and never relinquished it in progress to a three-quarter length victory in 2:00.1. Owned and bred by the Moni Maker Stable and trained by Domenico Cecere, The Wise One returned $3.40 for the win.
Fellow Mass-breds RFLs Jasper was second and Bravado was third.
These horses will all be competing in the $2.5 million Massachusetts Sire Stakes that start on Sunday (Sept. 25) at Plainridge Park. That series runs through October and culminates on Monday (Oct. 24) with all eight finals.
Horsemen visiting the winner’s enclosure often on Thursday included drivers Bruce Ranger who had three winners and Brett Beckwith and Kevin Switzer Jr. who grabbed two a piece. Trainer Jimmy Nickerson also saw two of his pupils hit the line first during the afternoon.
Plainridge Park adds Sunday to the live racing schedule beginning on Sept. 18 and that’s when live racing will resume at "The Ridge" at 2 p.m. (EDT). Sunday racing will run through Oct. 23.
(Plainridge Park)