Spirit of Massachusetts Week underway at Plainridge

Plainville, MA — The biggest harness racing day of the summer at Plainridge Park is fast approaching when the Grand Circuit returns to the Commonwealth on Sunday, July 21. The blockbuster card that day will feature the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot and $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace. Post time for Spirit Day is at 2 p.m.

This will be the seventh edition of the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot and this year’s 26 eligibles will yield a very competitive starting field.

Four Spirit eligibles just raced in the $425,000 E. T. Gerry Hambletonian Maturity at the Meadowlands on Saturday (July 13) with three of them finishing first, second and fourth.

Chapercraz (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke) won the 1-⅛ mile event in 2:05.2 with French Wine (Andy Miller, Julie Miller) finishing second by a neck and Helpfirstedition (David Miller, Linda Toscano) was only one-half length behind in fourth.

Other possible starters include last year’s Spirit winner, It’s Academic and his stablemate Hillexotic, who are both also trained by Burke. And there is a powerful trio eligible from the Ake Svanstedt barn in Southwind Tyrion, who is currently the fastest trotter of 2024 regardless of age or gender, Jiggy Jog S who is tied for the fourth fastest mile of the year and Massachusetts-bred and two-time Mass Stake champion, Incommunicado, who just won the Invitational trot at Yonkers Raceway in his last start.

The Clara Barton Distaff Pace has been an outstanding stake since it was added in 2019 and this year’s eligibles could very well equal the quick work of previous winners.

Seven of the 17 Barton eligibles also competed at the Meadowlands on Saturday (July 13) in the $140,000 Dorothy Haughton Memorial with Twin B Joe Fresh (Dexter Dunn, Chris Ryder) winning in 1:47.3. Sylvia Hanover (Bob McCLure, Mark Stacey) finished third while pacing in 1:47.4 and Grace Hill (Todd McCarthy, Virgil Morgan Jr.) finished fourth only 3-¼ lengths behind.

Both of these stakes have re-written the track record for both gaits multiple times and this group of eligibles has the ability to do so again.

The high-powered card will also feature the $75,000 Bert Beckwith Invitational Pace, $50,000 John Hogan Memorial Pace, $25,000 Frank Dubreuil Memorial Pace and $22,500 Elmer Smith Memorial Pace. All told, the card will offer in excess of $600,000 in purses.

The full Spirit of Massachusetts race card will be drawn on Tuesday (July 16) with the box closing at 9 a.m. A release with the official fields will be sent out Tuesday afternoon once the draw has been completed.

Visiting horsemen and women who will need to get a Massachusetts Gaming license prior to racing on Sunday, are strongly encouraged to print and fill out the application in advance and bring it and a check with you to save time in the commission office on race day.

Also, there will be a food truck available in the paddock that day and all horsemen and women will receive a commemorative T-shirt courtesy of Plainridge Park and the Harness Horseman’s Association of New England.

Special events happening on Spirit Day will once again include the annual owners’ reception. Owners and their connections who will be racing in Spirit Day events are invited to a brunch in the Boylston Room on the second floor of the grandstand.

The Boston Bruins National anthem singer, Tony Angelli, will be on hand to open the ceremonies by singing the Star Spangled Banner while also performing more vocals during the day.

Trackside entertainment will also be provided by the Berkshire Valley Boys who will be playing throughout the day.

Admission is always free to Plainridge Park as are race day programs, which can be downloaded here under the racing tab.

by Tim Bojarski, for Plainridge Park