Driving title to come down to last day of meet

Harness racing driver Jonathan Roberts needed to make up some ground on Russell Foster for the Rosecroft Raceway dash driving title heading into Wednesday night.

Roberts, trailing by three wins, swept both $20,000 features and won four races on the night, to lead Foster by one win heading into Sunday’s closing night card.

The 40-year-old Roberts sprang into action in the $20,000 Maryland Distaff Invitational with Lyons Softassilk, and the sophomore daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, did not let him down, cutting fractions of :27.1, :57, 1:24.3 and finishing the mile in 1:53.1. Beach Boutique (Eric Davis) was second, Jackie’s Express (Jared Moyer) was third.

It was the seventh win of the year for the filly owned by the Let It Ride Stables and trained by Michael Hall, who has 20 wins on the meet, trailing John Wagner by one headed into closing night.

Roberts then won the $20,000 Maryland Trotting Derby with the dominant Judge Bob who completed the Fall meet a perfect 4-4, securing his 10th win of the year in 1:56.2. The six-year-old son of Great George Two has now won 31 times in 98 lifetime starts and is owned by trainer Megan Roberts and the Graham Grace Stables. Explosive Drama (Foster) was second and Barley (Moyer) was third.

Roberts won with Rah Rah Blue Chip for Hall, Let It Ride Stables, Enviro Stables and Bottom Line Racing as well as TKO Blue Chip for trainer Eric Ell, Curtis Short and Thomas Leager.

Eric Davis continues to have a fine 2021, winning two times Wednesday night, and giving him 37 wins in 2021 at Rosecroft, 20 during the Fall meet. Davis drove just 46 times in 2020, now driving full time in the colony, the 25-year-old has firmly secured a place in the top-five for the meet.

Davis sent Odds On Dead Heat to her third win of the meet, and the filly by JK Endofanera has only missed the board once in seven starts since being acquired by Trainer Brian Callahan. Davis also won an upper-level event for pacing mares with Cruzinforavictory who coming in had finished second 12 times in 37 starts, this time she finished the job winning for the fourth time this year for Trainer Jeff Clark.

Brian Burton, Roger Plante, Luke Hanners, Frank Milby, Justin Vincent and Jared Moyer all had wins on the Wednesday night slate.

Rosecroft concludes 2021 racing Sunday night at 7:15 with a $20,000 Maryland Pacing Derby highlighting the card and determining horse of the meet honors between Rocktavius and Precision Bluechip who each enter with four wins on the meet.

For full race results, click here.

by Pete Medhurst, for Rosecroft Raceway