Plante wins four, College Tuition repeats

FORT WASHINGTON, Md. — Roger Plante Jr. was the kingpin at Rosecroft Raceway on Thursday (Sept. 25), leading all drivers with four harness racing wins on the 13-race card and capturing the co-featured $9,000 top-level conditioned pace for fillies and mares with Dice Dice Baby.

Sent off the 4-5 favorite, Dice Dice Baby (Rockin Cam) sprinted clear of Maleficent K through a :26.3 first quarter before traveling unopposed through middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.2. The 7-year-old Rockincam mare switched gears off the corner for home, using a :28.4 closing quarter to cap a 2-1/4-length, 1:53.1 win over Strawberry Fields, who rallied for second at 64-1 over a tiring Maleficent K.

DICE DICE BABY REPLAY

William Cox trains Dice Dice Baby, who competes as a homebred for Michael Somerville and paid $3.60 to win.

Plante also won with Howard Birney trainee Mazal ($4.20, 1:55), Andrew Fulton trainee Miramichi Alanna ($8.60, 1:54.1), and his own Oh Ophelia ($3.40, 1:55).

In the co-featured $9,000 top-level conditioned trot, College Tuition and Russell Foster sealed a second consecutive front-end win over double millionaire JL Cruze by rating a soft 1:27 first three-quarters and turning on the jets late to evade their pocket rival by a diminishing nose in 1:55.1. Courtney Foster trains the 7-year-old Donato Hanover gelding, who paid $3.60 to win as the 4-5 second choice, for owner/breeder Eric Foster.

Live racing at Rosecroft resumes Monday (Sept. 29) with the second preliminary round of Maryland Sire Stakes for 2-year-olds taking center stage. A four-race non-wagering stakes program will begin at 5:30 p.m.; the main 13-race pari-mutuel card will begin at 7:15 p.m. The 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5, offered in race 10, boasts a carryover of $2,081.97.

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

From Rosecroft Raceway