Le Bella Vita N is currently on a roll

Plainville, MA — Coming off an impressive 1:53.3 harness racing victory at Saratoga Raceway last week, the Empire State shipper La Bella Vita N (Changeover) came back with an even faster effort to take the $20,000 Winners-Over pace for fillies and mares at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon (June 21).

Adashious Hanover (Drew Monti) parked La Bella Vita N (Shawn Gray) to the quarter in :26.3 before she was able to clear but once settled, Gray controlled the race. Then went past the half in :55.1 before any challenge came and Turnthefrownaround (Luke Hanners) is the one that brought the heat.

La Bella Vita N continued to lead and kept Turnthefrownaround at her flank as the hit three-quarters in 1:23.3 and that :28.2 outside brush left the pursuer hanging around the last turn. At the top of the stretch the pocket-sitting Adashious Hanover took her best shot off the pylons and Turnthefrownaround continued in chase, but neither would catch La Bella Vita N, who was pacing away to a 2-¼ length win in a lifetime best 1:51.4 clocking.

It was the fifth win of the year for La Bella Vita N ($2.60) who is owned by the team of Bowie Racing and Michael Goldberg Racing. Alicia Gray trains the winner.

LA BELLA VITA N REPLAY

Earlier in the $15,000 conditioned pacing event for 5-year-old and under fillies and mares, Pembroke Ali (Western Maverick), sat second behind the front-running Quarrel (Kevin Switzer Jr.) through quarters of :26.1, :56.2 and 1:24.1 as JB’s Star Dancer (Bruce Ranger) tried to reel in the leader from the half. When that bid failed, driver Heath Campbell tipped Pembroke Ali at the head of the stretch, took the lead and held off a late charging Justcallmecasey (Nick Graffam) to win by ½ length in 1:54.1, which was a new lifetime mark.

Pembroke Ali ($7.00) is owned by William Varney and trained by Valerie Grondin.

PEMBROKE ALI REPLAY

Drivers Heath Campbell, Nick Graffam and Bruce Ranger all had driving doubles on Tuesday.

There is a large and growing carryover of $30,661 available in the sixth race Wicked Hi-5 wager when live racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon (June 23) with post time at 4 p.m. Free full past performance race programs for all live race days can be downloaded by visiting the track’s website here and clicking the “Racing” tab.

For full race results, click here.

By Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts