Spectacular final day surge for drivers’ title

Trailing Jonathan Roberts by one win heading into closing night, Russell Foster got started early and won often, as he posted six wins on the Sunday night harness racing card at Rosecroft and win the Fall meet dash driving title.

Foster ended the meet with 52 wins in 234 starts and placed in the top three at 52% for the meet. Roberts, had a terrific meet as well, winning 49 times in 222 starts and hitting the top three at 55%.

In the featured event of the night, the $20,000 Maryland pacing Derby, Precision Bluechip, who spent the Fall meet battling his arch rival Rocktavius, won one of the wildest races of the year in 1:53. Foster sent the six-year old son of Bettors Delight to the front from post three. He had lots of company. Volley Ball Beach left from post six, Derby Dog Hanover post four, and Rocktavius post seven. While Roberts got his horse to the pylons, the other two were not as fortunate.

Precision Bluechip ended up cutting fractions of :26, :54.1, 1:23.4, with Volley Ball Beach and Derby Dog Hanover stacked up as prompters to his outside, the king of the Rosecroft castle had to fend off a challenge from a fresh Transparency and he did just that, winning by just over a length.

“Credit to Courtney for keeping him so consistent, he just gives you everything he has every time he races, and they are all tough miles against good competition. You wish you drive 13 like him every night,” Foster said.

PRECISION BLUECHIP REPLAY

It was the 13th win of the year for Precision Blue Chip and put his seasonal earnings at $100,278 in 33 starts in 2021. He has won 24 of his last 60 starts over the past two years.

It secured Horse of the Meet honors for the winner, and concluded solid racing seasons for second place finisher Transparency (Trae Porter) who had seven wins in 30 starts, third place finisher Costello (Roger Plante) who had 11 wins and Rocktavius (Roberts) who had three wins and four seconds in Open Handicap company during the Fall meet.​

Plante, Eric Davis and Jared Moyer rounded out the top five in the drivers standings, while John Wagner won a close battle with Michael Hall, Ken Schlotzhauer, Megan Roberts and Trevor Stafford for the Rosecroft training title.

Bryson Dunning, picked up his first Rosecroft win as Dirt On My Boots won a 1:52.1 slugfest in the $11,000 Open Handicap for trainer Jody Dunning and owners Alvin Stafford and Paul Reid. It was the seventh win of the year for the five year old altered son of Tobago Cays who gave the 18-year old provisional driver his first lifetime win last week at Chester.

Moyer and Roberts won twice, while Declan Donoway, and Jim Morand also picked up closing night wins.

Rosecroft reopens on Wednesday night, January 19th.

For full race results, click here.

by Pete Medhurst, for Rosecroft Raceway