Massachusetts champions to be crowned in $1.28 million finals

Plainville, MA — The culmination of one of the best stake seasons ever will take place at Plainridge Park when the $1.28 million finals of the Massachusetts Breeders Stake will take place on Thursday (Oct. 24). Eight divisions valued at $160,000 each will go postward in what looks to be some very competitive harness racing groupings.

Here is a quick look at the early favorites in each division.

2-year-old pacing colts and geldings

Digging For Gold (Huntsville-Gold Orchid N) has won three consecutive MBS since coming to Plainridge and set both new stake and track records in the process. Digging For Gold has won seven out of 10  overall starts this year after a very successful run in the New York Sire Stakes Excelsior series over the summer.

Post: Four Trainer: George Ducharme Driver: Nick Graffam

2-year-old pacing fillies

It’s Crunch Time (Captain Crunch-Meghan Lynn) is two of three in MBS action with one of her wins by a whopping 16 lengths. The one race she lost was due to an untimely break after getting the lead at three-quarters and she did recover to finish third, only 2-1/2 lengths behind.

Post: One Trainer: Ron Burke Driver: Yannick Gingras

2-year-old trotting colts and geldings

Belmondo (Walner-Love Lockdown) won his last two consecutive MBS outings, took a lifetime mark and set a track and stake record with his 1:55 romp on October 1. He has won handily after his initial start at Plainridge and comes into this race at the top of his game.

Post: Four Trainer: Julie Miller Driver: Marcus Miller

2-year-old trotting fillies

R Lady W (Walner-Born Lindy) has made quite an impression since coming to Massachusetts. She won both preliminary MBS divisions she competed in, while taking a new lifetime mark and tying the stake and track record with her 1:56.1 effort on October 1. She has to beat a full field this week and that will be her challenge.

Post: Six Trainer: Linda Toscano Driver: Scott Zeron

3-year-old pacing colts and geldings

Rocknroll Lou (Sweet Lou-Beautiful Lady) was the MBS champion at two and seems to have the inside track to repeat this year. Besides winning all three of his stake legs coming in, Rocknroll Lou also rewrote the stake record on September 30 with his career best clocking of 1:51.1.

Post: Four Trainer: Ron Burke Driver: Yannick Gingras

3-year-old pacing fillies

Every Mans Dream (Always B Miki-Lindy’s Nightmare) was also the MBS champion at two and hasn’t even been close to being beaten in 2024. In her three straight MBS wins this year, Every Mans Dream has won by a combined 19-1/4 lengths and has also set a new stake record of 1:52.4 with her win on September 30.

Post: Six Trainer: Ron Burke Driver: Yannick Gingras

3-year-old trotting colts and geldings

Keep Asking (Chapter Seven-Sensibility) is another MBS champion from last year and is looking very much the part of a repeat so far. He has won two of his three MBS starts in 2024 and was a strong front-end performer in both of those. This is also the second year he has found success in the NYSS and that has helped his career earnings number of $558,949.

Post: Seven Trainer: George Ducharme  Driver: Scott Zeron

3-year-old trotting fillies

Treatyofversaille (International Moni-Birthright) has won five of her last six starts and that includes two MBS in her two most recent outings. Her 1:53.4 mile on September 30 was a new stake record, and she looked impressive setting it. Despite drawing post seven, Treatyofversaille looks to be the one to beat.

The Massachusetts Breeders Stakes features one non-betting event at 1:45 p.m. and the remaining seven contests are programmed as races one, three, five, six, seven, eight and 10. Post time for the first race is 2 p.m.

These stake finals are just one-half of a big two-day celebration at Plainridge Park.

On Friday (Oct. 25), Plainridge Park will host an event called Men Wear Pink: A Sulky Social, which is a fund raiser for the prevention and eventual cure of breast cancer held in conjunction with the American Cancer Society and Men Wear Pink of Boston.

Men Wear Pink is a distinguished group of community leaders, determined to raise awareness and money to support a mission to save more lives than ever from breast cancer. Plainridge Park Casino’s General Manager, North Grounsell, is a Men Wear Pink of Boston Ambassador and he is stepping up and using the power of wearing pink to raise funds and work to end breast cancer as we know it.

Every dollar makes a difference in the fight against this disease and every horseman, horsewoman and horse person’s organization involved with harness racing at Plainridge Park has stepped up to the plate to show their support and make a real impact by setting a goal of $30,000 and working hard to achieve it.

As a strong kick-start towards that number, substantial monetary donations have been pledged by Plainridge Park, the Harness Horseman’s Association of New England (HHANE), the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts (SOMINC) and the New England Amateur Harness Driver’s Association.

Horses racing that day will be decked out in pink from head to toe and to help facilitate that, Plainridge Park will provide pink Vetwrap and ribbons on race day to enhance the look. HHANE has purchased white and pink driving gloves and will make sure every driver is wearing them. And SOMINC has purchased six presentation blankets that will be used in specific named races during the afternoon.

Plainridge Park’s leading trainer, Jimmy Nickerson, is intimately familiar with this disease as his wife, Heidi, is a breast cancer survivor. Heidi fought and won her battle and she and Jimmy are now both fully focused on doing whatever they can moving forward to end this and other cancers in the future.

As part of their mission, they have formed “Team Nickerson” for this fundraiser and have the full support of all their owners and their driver, Matty Athearn. And every member of Team Nickerson will be donating 20% of all purse winnings from Friday to Men Wear Pink of Boston through the Sulky Social.

Team Nickerson has also put out a challenge to everyone who races at Plainridge Park, including those who will be on hand for the Massachusetts Breeders Stake finals on Thursday (Oct. 24), and all horsemen and horsewomen who race around the world, to meet this challenge and donate to this worthy cause as well through th eonline link.

Anyone wishing to make a contribution and help Plainridge Park reach the $30,000 goal can donate directly to the American Cancer Society’s Men Wear Pink of Boston by following this link.

For complete non-wagering race entries, click here: US Trotting entries.

For complete pari-mutuel race entries, click here: US Trotting entries.

by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts