Expert’s selections for Spirit of Massachusetts Day

Plainville, MA — The $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot will be held at Plainridge Park on Sunday (July 20) during the biggest race day of the summer in Massachusetts. The harness racing card also features the $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace and the $75,000 Bert Beckwith Memorial Invitational Pace on a day with a total of $600,000 in purses up for grabs. Below are the selections of eight racing media members who made their picks for the top three marquee events.

Gordon Waterstone – Harness Racing Hall of Fame – Journalist

BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE

1 Vintage Cheddar N picks up Dunn who should put this 10-year-old vet in perfect stalking position.
5 Life’s A Puzzle
3 Heinikin Bythebay

 

CLARA BARTON PACE

4 Twin B Joe Fresh the reining Horse of the Year will show once again why she is the queen of racing.

5 Sylvia Hanover

6 My Girl EJ

 

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT

3 Logan Park has the best inside speed to give him a tactical advantage in controlling over a tough second choice.

6 Periculum

8 Aetos Kronos S

 

Bob “Hollywood” Heyden – Harness Racing Hall of Fame – Broadcaster and Historian

BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE

4 Fourever Boy would be fitting for Brett and Mom to capture the Beckwith.

3 Heiniken Bythebay 

8 Pirate

 

CLARA BARTON PACE

4 Twin B Joe Fresh is about $1.2 million away from being the all-time mare earnings leader and vying to become the first Horse of the Year repeater since Moni Maker.

5 Sylvia Hanover

6 My Girl EJ

 

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT

1 Up your Deo is in a prime upsetting position and looking to come back large from a “so so” season.

3 Logan Park 

6 Periculum

 

Ken Warkentin – Harness Racing Hall of Fame – Meadowlands Track Announcer – Voice of the Hambletonian

BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE

1 Vintage Cheddar N just tripped-out to the mile of his life and picks up Dexter.

5 Life’s A Puzzle

4 Fourever Boy

 

CLARA BARTON PACE

4 Twin B Joe Fresh how do you go against the defending Horse of the Year?

5 Sylvia Hanover

6 My Girl EJ

 

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT

6 Periculum was the winner of the Cutler and Crawford with trot to spare.
8 Aetos Kronos S
3 Logan Park

 

Debbie Little – Harness Racing Hall of Fame – Associate Editor of Harness Racing Update

BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE

1 Vintage Cheddar N Dunn gets it done from the one.

5 Life’s A Puzzle

4 Fourever Boy

CLARA BARTON PACE

4 Twin B Joe Fresh is hard to pick off after getting back on track in the Dorothy Haughton Memorial.

5 Sylvia Hanover

6 My Girl EJ

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT

8 Aetos Kronos S Melander’s “other horse” gives Dunn a natural hat trick.

6 Periculum

7 Lexus Kody

 

Garnet Barnsdale – DRF Harness and Ontario Racing Handicapper

BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE

1 Vintage Cheddar N gets the best driver in the world for this.

5 Life’s A Puzzle

4 Fourever Boy

CLARA BARTON PACE

4 Twin B Joe Fresh got back on track last Saturday night.

5 Sylvia Hanover

6 My Girl EJ

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT

3 Logan Park can get a good trip racing near the front here.

6 Periculum

7 Lexus Kody

 

Derick Giwner – DRF Harness Editor

BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE

6 Tenzing Bromac N went an easy mile in U.S. debut; more now!

5 Life’s A Puzzle

1 Vintage Cheddar N

CLARA BARTON PACE

4 Twin B Joe Fresh is the undisputed queen of this division.

5 Sylvia Hanover

1 Talk Curdy To Me

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT

6 Periculum dominated these in the Crawford Farms Trot.

7 Lexus Kody

1 Up Your Deo

 

Lenny Calderone – Plainridge Park Track Announcer

BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE

5 Life’s A Puzzle comes into the Beckwith in razor sharp form.

1 VIntage Cheddar N

2 Two Fold Cold 

CLARA BARTON PACE

4 Twin B Joe Fresh comes off a dominating win in the Haughton Memorial and is strictly the one to beat.

5 Sylvia Hanover

1 Talk Curdy To Me

 

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT

7 Lexus Kody has been the model of consistency for Burke and should be flying off the gate with no intentions of stopping.

6 Periculum

2 Chapercraz

 

Tim Bojarski – Harness Racing Hall of Fame – Plainridge Park Racing Media Relations

BERT BECKWITH MEMORIAL PACE

4 Fourever Boy is versatile, knows this track and gives Brett his first win in the family namesake race.

5 Life’s A Puzzle

3 Heinikin Bythebay

CLARA BARTON PACE

4 Twin B Joe Fresh is a generational talent that stands alone in here.

5 Sylvia Hanover

6 My Girl EJ

SPIRIT OF MASSACHUSETTS TROT

6 Periculum looks to good to choose against right now.

8 Aetos Kronos S

7 Lexus Kody

 

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

by Tim Bojarski, for Plainridge Park