Harness racing driver Trae Porter had his choice of Jason Skinner trainees in the $12,500 Open Handicap for mares on Wednesday night at Rosecroft Raceway. It was a tough choice, either 65-time winner Truth And Liberty, who was 3-3 this Spring at Rosecroft or Shezza GNP N,Ā who scorched the Fort Washington stonedust in 1:51.4 a week earlier.
He chose the latter, and it turned out to be the right choice as the nine-year-old daughter of Art Major stormed to the front and held off the pocket sitting Need Ur Opinion in 1:52.2 at a whopping 10-1! Porter cut fractions of :26, :55.1, 1:23.2 and held off the runner up by just over a length. It was the second straight win and fourth of the year for Shezza GNP N, owned by Joan Dalphon and Elanor Laws.
SHEZZA GNP N REPLAY
It was a busy day for Porter with three wins on the betting card, netting another upset with Carribean Sam-Nin ($22.60) for Ken Schlotzhauer and Final Escape $13.20) for Beth Shockely.
Porter won a non-betting $10,000 Maryland Sires Stake three year old filly pacing division with Janet’s For Real for Pamela Wagner. Porter also had a win at Harrah’s Chester on Wednesday afternoon.
Russell Foster picked up two MDSS wins with You’llĀ Never Be Me for Richard Hans and Hoofbeats De Vie, who is now 8-8 in MDSS competition. Both will be favorites to win their $75,000 finals next week.
Since getting hurt in a racing accident earlier in the meet, Jared Moyer has come back strong since the injury, winning two more races last night. Moyer drove Connies All In to a three year old filly pacing win in 1:53.4, and stamped herself as the favorite in next week’s $75,000 final. She got tested down the stretch by the green, but rapidly improving Baby Doll Jen, who was within three-quarters of a length at the end coming home in :27.4 for a second straight week.
CONNIES ALL IN / MOYER REPLAY
Moyer won for a second straight week with Kayla Moyer’s Flashazz N, who last week won at 16-1, this week in the same class, from a better post, paid a handsome $25.40 to her supporters.
When the three-year-old colt pacers go to the gate in next weeks $75,000 final, there is no doubt who the favorite will be. Anthonys All In, the son of Rusty’s All In and the mare Native Canadian, has been stellar in his two starts for Trainer-Driver John Wagner to get the 2022 season rolling.
Winning Wednesday night in 1:53.4, it set a new mark again this week, and stablemate Donnys All In, an erratic, but talented colt, finished second. Last Fall, Donnys All In upset his stablemate in the final and these two are likely headed for another clash for the cash next Wednesday.
Jonathan Roberts picked up a pair of wins for trainer Michael Hall, as Sophie’s Candy pulled a 13-1 upset and Must Be Nice who won for the fifth time in 2022.
Brian Burton and Winky’s Credit just missed tying the track record for older trotting mares winning in 1:55. The time was 1/5th of a second off the mark set by Whambamthankyoumam in 2019. Burton picked up the catch drive for trainer Jackie Macleod and Robert Kloss Jr. Burton also won with his own Half A Virgin in race 12.
Frank Milby won with Church Choir, owned by himself and girlfriend Ashley Hopkins, giving Milby his 2,997th career win.
With two nights remaining in the meet, Foster holds a 67-64 lead over Roberts for the Dash Driving title.
For complete race results, click here.
by Pete Medhurst, for Rosecroft Raceway