Open Pace to Fourever Boy for third straight

Plainville, MA — Fourever Boy (Sweet Lou) continued his top-class dominance at Plainridge Park on Monday (July 15) after winning the $20,000 Open Handicap harness racing pace, which was his third straight win and fifth in the last seven starts.

Fourever Boy (Brett Beckwith) got away last in the short field of six as Heinikin Bythebay (Kevin Switzer Jr.) led the field to a pedestrian, yet uncontested :56 half. As the race made its way onto the backstretch, Torrid Saint A (Matty Athearn) pulled first-over from fourth and made his way to second in the breeze as the tempo picked up in the :26.4 third panel. At this point, Fourever Boy was still last, but on the outside and ready to make his move.

As they were pacing out of the last turn, Torrid Saint A made a break, forcing the now moving Fourever Boy four-wide at the top of the lane. Beckwith was highly animated in the bike as Fourever Boy made up quick ground on Heinikin Bythebay and the pocket-sitting Just Little Bit A (Nick Graffam) as the threesome thundered down the stretch. When they hit the wire, they were still three abreast, but Fourever Boy got up late by a head and won in 1:51.1.

The 5-year-old Fourever Boy ($3.60) is now just $3,258 shy of $1 million in lifetime earnings for owners Micki Rae Stables and Tim Twaddle. Mark Beckwith was the winning trainer.

FOUREVER BOY REPLAY

Later in the $18,000 upper-level conditioned pace, Gandolf The Black (Shadow Play) and driver Drew Monti left from post three and led the entire race.

After posting quarters of :26, :55 and 1:22.1, To The Hunt (Brett Beckwith) vacated the pocket and had his sights set directly on Gandolf The Black. To The Hunt quickly made up 1-½ lengths in the stretch, but Gandolf The Black finished it out and won by one-half length in 1:51 flat. Gandolf The Black ($15.40) is owned by Kellogg Racing Stables and is trained by Jackie Greene.

GANOLF THE BLACK REPLAY

It was one of two wins on the card for Monti.

Drivers Brett Beckwith and Nick Graffam also scored doubles on the during the afternoon.

24-year-old Zachary Vickerson scored his first pari-mutuel driving win on Monday after steering King Spencer (Sweet Lou) – $69.80) to a nose victory in 1:54.1.

KING SPENCER REPLAY

On Sunday (July 21), Plainridge Park will have the spotlight of the Grand Circuit shining directly on it as the track will host the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot and accompanying $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace, starting at 2 p.m. Some of the best horses in North America will be in the Bay State to compete on the biggest day of racing of the summer at The Ridge with all purses for the card totaling more than $600,000.

Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (July 16) with post time moved to 5 p.m. due to the heat advisory posted for Plainville, Massachusetts.

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

by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts