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Plainville, MA — The harness racing trotters took center stage at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon (May 8) with three solid races producing impressive finishes.
The premier class was the $25,000 Winners-Over class where Big Al M (Anders Bluestone, Matty Athearn) led all the way. After setting fractional times of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:26, Big Al M took a two-length lead into the stretch and made it four at the line where he got his first win of the year in 1:54.3.
BIG AL M REPLAY
Big Al M ($3.60) is owned and trained by Zachary Vickerson.
Athearn ended the day with a total of two wins to lead all drivers.
The undercard was a pair of $17,500 conditioned events for 6-year-olds and under.
In the first, Crescent Beauty (Crescent Fashion, Bruce Ranger) got away a distant third behind Wallet (Nick Graffam) who was on top by five at the :55.2 half. Ranger pulled Crescent Beauty at the five-eighths and started to chip away at Wallet’s lead. By the top of the last turn, Crescent Beauty caught the leader and then found room at the pylons to advance. She turned for home and trotted to the beam under no urging with a 3-½ length lead and a new lifetime mark of 1:54.4.
A 16-time winner in 2022, Crescent Beauty ($17.00) got her first of this season for owner William Hartt and trainer Lance Hudson.
CRESCENT BEAUTY REPLAY
The other split of this class went to Skyway Professor (Swan For All, John Beckwith) who struck the front just past the quarter, opened up a three-length lead at the 1:26.3 three quarters and then held off a late closing Unique Kemp (Jordan Derue) in deep stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.1, giving him a new seasonal mark.
It was the third win in the last five starts for Skyway Professor ($6.20) and owners Thomas Greeley and Dennis Whittemore, who also does the training.
SKYWAY PROFESSOR REPLAY
There was one $17,500 pace on Monday to note, where Vel Letsroll South (Nick Graffam) put on a devastating performance. After setting fractions of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:24.3 with a gapped advantage throughout, Vel Letsroll South simply cruised home under a line drive to win by four in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.
Vel Letsroll South (Time To Roll, $3.40) is owned by Moo Coo and is trained by Matty Medeiros.
VEL LETSROLL SOUTH REPLAY
Eleven different trainers each won one race during the afternoon.
When live racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (May 9) at 4 p.m. there will be a $2,679 carryover in the Jackpot Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in race six and a $685 carryover in the Bay State Pick-6 in race four.
For complete race results, click here.
by Tim Bojarski, for Plainridge Park
