Roberts snags title with huge closing-night performance

Jonathan Roberts rallied on closing night to win five harness racing dashes and edge Johnathan Ahle in the Rosecroft Drivers Standings.

Roberts finished with 52 win in 238 starts while Ahle netted 50 wins in 249 starts, including the finale of the meet with Thor And Dr Jones for trainer Greg Trotto and co-owners, Jon Reedy, Jeff Livingston and Jeff Garner.

Roberts, fittingly sealed the deal with Tapped Teen, owned by his Dad, William Roberts, and trained by Michael Hall, who Roberts has netted many Maryland wins over the past couple of season between Rosecroft and Ocean Downs. Hall won the training title with 32 wins. John Wagner was second with 22 and Katie Callahan third with 20. A late fall meet surge by Johnny Crites placed him fourth with 13 while Basil Sapienza had 12 rounding out the top-five.

Roberts scored a pair of wins for trainer Brian Burton on the card as well as the 100th career training win for Katie Callahan.

Russell Foster won the $10,000 Open 2 Category with Business Director, conditioned by Jason Bowers for owners Wanda May Saulsbury and Arty Foster III. It secured a third place finish for Foster with 43 wins in 232 starts in the fall meet.

Trae Porter, had a closing night double on Subban and Mittnite Delight for James and Roberta Eveland to finish with 38. Every man in the top four had their drives in the money at a 44% clip or better for the meet.

Frank MIlby’s closing night win on Captain Map for Ron Dixon gave him the edge in a tight battle for fifth as he picked up his 21st win. Eric Davis notched a win with Rock On The Hill for Robert Nichols in dramatic fashion erasing a 20-length deficit to one time leader, Volleyball Beach who gave way late. It gave Davis his career best 20th win of the meet.Roger Plante also had 20 wins while Jared Moyer’s 18th wion of the meet came with Dragon Roars Again in the $12,000 Open I category for owner-trainer TJ Lord.

Rosecroft over the past few years has been a launching pad for young drivers under the age of 21. Justin Walters, 20, put his mounts in the money at a 45% rate, winning 14 times in 84 drives. 19-year-old William Carter netted 10 wins and $106,000 in fall purse money.

Rosecroft will be dark until the winter-spring meet opens on January 18.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Pete Medhurst, for Rosecroft Raceway