Longshots rule in $85,000 Maryland Sire Stakes Finals

Sires Stakes cards in general tend to be chalk ladened affairs for the harness racing bettors. Low win payouts and exotics that tend to return low on the investment.

However, sometimes you can catch lightning in a bottle and Tuesday night (May 16) at Rosecroft Raceway, it struck twice as the track hosted four $85,000 finals in the Maryland Sires Stakes Program.

In the three-year old filly pacing final, a much deeper field went to post against the sensational Val’s Girl, a perfect 12-12 entering the track Tuesday night.

When the field left the gate, eventual winner, Phoenix Rising (Movie Idol), left hard for driver Frank Milby, with the likely intention of gaining a two-hole ride. As Val’s Girl accelerated along the pylons, Milby grabbed up and ducked his horse into the pocket through an opening quarter of :26.2.

Roger Plante got the leader a breather in the second quarter of :29.2 as Morgans All In began a first over journey that at one point looked like it was going to tow second choice, Joyces Real Honey into a winning position, but as that cover faltered, Joyces Real Honey lost ground on the final turn and in the final 1/16th of the mile, Milby shot up the passing lane to score the nearly 35-1 upset.

Val’s Girl was valiant in holding second while Joyce Real Honey was third. Lloyd’s Loves and Moovit Getout Dway picked up the final checks. The exacta with the heavy favorite second produced a $314.20 return.

PHOENIX RISING REPLAY

It was the third win of the year for Phoenix Rising, owned by Trainer Frank Gannon III and wife Liz. She is a daughter out of the Gannon Family’s home bred mare, Scarlet Pandemic.

In the pacing final for 3YOCP, the showdown everyone expected, indeed materialized as Smooth Rocket (Cam’s Rocket) and Babes All In did not disappoint. WIth Babes All In and Jared Moyer rolling fractions of :26. :55.2, 1:24.2, driver Russell Foster vacated the pocket with Smooth Rocket and the two went stride for stride literally to the wire with inches separating the two at the finish in 1:52.

He is owned by Foster and his Wife Megan who trains the sophomore who is 9-13 lifetime and has won four straight. Center Of It All, Green Eggs And Cam and Lucky Major rounded out the top five.

SMOOTH ROCKET REPLAY

In the 3YOFT final, Call Me Goo appeared headed for a collision course with Goolishness, both daughters of the great Googoo Gaagaa. It was shaping up that way until the pocket sitting Goolishness made a break in the final turn and Call Me Goo won comfortably for Jonathan Roberts in 1:58.1.

Jason Skinner trains the winner for Graham Grace Stables LLC. The win made her 7-11 lifetime and Googoo Gaagaa swept the top three with Gimme Goo Bumps second Goolishness rallying for third. Roadgracemissellie and Whitesville Pride took the final checks.

CALL ME GOO REPLAY

In the 3YOCT category, Last year, Jewett (Lockkeeper) was an upset winner in the final at Ocean Downs and backed it up with a third in the final at Rosecroft in October. Coming off a second-place finish in a preliminary last week, you figure he would have some amount of respect at the window. Nope.

The 42-1 shot went to the front from post eight, and when substantial favorite How Do You Goo made an early break, no one passed the longshot who won for driver and conditioner John Wagner and wife Pam in 1:59.2.

K J Roberts was second, Googoo Eyes third, while Tenouttaten and Terrys Watching took home checks.

JEWETT REPLAY

Roberts took the feature with Best Head West scoring her fifth win of the year in the $12,000 Open for distaff pacers.

Roberts and Foster each won four races on the card, trainer Mike Hall won four times and Wagner twice.

Rosecroft concludes the Spring meet Saturday night with a Jackpot Hi 5 carryover of $23,640.07 in race 10.  Post time is 7:15 eastern time.

For complete race results, click here.

by Peter Medhurst, for Rosecroft Raceway