Ranger wins five at Plainridge

Plainville, MA — Massachusetts-bred harness racing trotters had a big day at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 12) with both young and old participants hitting the winner’s enclosure. Three of the day’s victors will be competing in the $2.5 million (est) Massachusetts Sire Stakes that start on September 25.

First, the 2-year-old gelding Foreign Moni (International Moni-Dancing Coed) got his third win in a row in the $10,000 Romper Room series after a first-over move that saw him claim the win by 1-3/4 lengths in a new lifetime best of 1:59.2. Foreign Moni ($4.20) is owned by his trainer George Ducharme in partnership with Jim Winske.

Then in the $11,000 condition race for younger trotters, the 3-year-old colt Te Amo Lindy (Muscle Hill-Lovely Lindy) flew down the lane from fourth for Bruce Ranger and made up a three length deficit en route to a 1:58.1 win. Te Amo Lindy ($2.10) is owned by K R Breeding and trained by Domenico Cecere.

Ranger and Cecere were far from done. They also won with the 3-year-old filly Milliondollarwall (Walner-Mom’s Millionaire) who was parked from just before the half to the last turn, before straightening out for the wire where she won by 1-½ lengths in 1:56.2. Milliondollarwall ($14.00) is owned by the Moni Maker Stable.

All three of these trotters will be in the Massachusetts Sire Stakes later this month.

Cecere had one more Mass-Bred winner up his sleeve but this one competed in the Massachusetts Sire Stakes three years ago. But now at age six, Marquis Lafayette (Ready Cash) is one of the top Open trotters on the grounds and he proved it once again on Tuesday after winning the $25,000 Winners-Over feature race.

Ranger got away fourth in the scratch-shortened field of five and stayed there until the half, where he pulled and advanced towards the front-running Big Al M (Matty Athearn). Once the two horses engaged at three-quarters they trotted in lock-step around the last turn, into the stretch and all the way to the wire where Marquis Lafayette won the war by a neck in 1:53.3.

Marquis Lafayette ($5.80) accounted for Cecere’s training triple with his fourth win of the year for owner Greathorse.

Ranger went on to win two more races with Robert Kenney-trained trotters Barmaid Express (Bar Hopping, 1:58, $8.20), who is also Massachusetts-bread, and Jericho (Credit Winner, 1:57.2, $7.40) to round out his five-bagger.

Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Thursday (Sept. 14) at 2 p.m. and there will be a $2,303 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