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Plainville, MA — When the 5-year-old pacing gelding Hollywood Skeeter (Cheyenne Hollywood) crossed the finish line up by 1-½ lengths in the sixth race at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon (Sept. 14), it gave harness racing’s Mike Graffam the 900th training win of his career that goes back to 1981.
Fittingly for this multi-faceted and family focused horseman, Hollywood Skeeter ($11.00) was also bred and is owned by Graffam and his son Nick Graffam was at the lines for the victory.
Graffam’s 900 wins are accompanied by 1,034 seconds and 1,095 thirds which have earned a total of $6,769,509 in purses for his connections since 1991. Although not too frequently anymore, Graffam drove for many years and his career in the bike has netted him an additional 510 wins, 592 seconds and 708 thirds and put another $2,369,520 in the coffers.
HOLLYWOOD SKEETER REPLAY
The top race at The Ridge was a $14,500 mid-level conditioned event for fillies and mares that was won by Stay Jelly (Stay Hungry) and driver Brett Beckwith, who got away fourth before pulling first-over at the half to eventually draw near the front-running Eazy Hunting (Matty Athearn) at the top of the stretch. Stay Jelly took the lead shortly after and then held off Racey Rach N (Mitchell Cushing) at the line by one-half length in 1:52.1 to take a new lifetime mark.
Stay Jelly ($4.20) is owned by Dragon Tales Farm and is trained by Michelle Crawford. It was one of two driving wins for Beckwith on the card.
STAY JELLY REPLAY
There were four more Massachusetts-bred horses that won on Thursday who are eligible to the $2.5 million Massachusetts Sire Stakes that start at Plainridge Park on September 25.
3-year-old pacing filly My Sweet Kate (Sweet Lou-Kate Is Well Said) took a new 1:55 lifetime mark in her 3-¼ length win, 3-year-old pacing gelding Race Me Maverick (Western Maverick-Race Me Android) also took a lifetime mark of 1:57.4 in his victory, 3-year-old pacing gelding Your Brother (So Surreal-Gotmyreddressontnit) looked sharp in his 1:53.3 win and 3-year-old pacing filly Seafood Beauty (American Ideal-Seafood Annie) also took a new lifetime mark of 1:54.4 in her one length win.
The top driver on Thursday was Matty Athearn with three ice cold wins, two of which were trained by Jimmy Nickerson who was the top conditioner for the afternoon.
Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday (Sept. 18) at 2 p.m. and there will be a $3,740 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race six.
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts
