Mares own the spotlight at Plainridge

Plainville, MA — A pair of paces for fillies and mares topped the harness racing card at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon (May 2) and both winners flaunted front-end foot.

In the $17,500 event for 5-year-olds and under, Toodles Hanover (Betting Line) and driver Bruce Ranger got away second at the quarter to Howdoyalikeit (Matty Athearn) but pulled past that station and took the lead for good. After cruising to the half in :56, Roaring Kitty (Jim Hardy) mounted a first-over challenge that pushed the pace up the backside and around the far turn.

As the girls headed into the stretch, A List Girl (Kevin Switzer Jr.) joined Howdoyalikeit Now and Roaring Kitty in pursuit of Toodles Hanover, but she said “toodle-oo” and maintained pace across the wire to win by a head in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.3.

Toodles Hanover ($6.00) is owned by Katie Callahan and is trained by Gretchen Athearn.

TOODLES HANOVER REPLAY

Ranger and Athearn both ended the day with two wins apiece.

Earlier in the $16,000 mid-level condition for distaff participants, Booraa N (Mach Three) and driver Ron Cushing remained undefeated in North America by putting up quick front-end fractions of :26.4, :54.4 and 1:23.1 before turning for home and stretching out to an easy 1-½ length margin of victory in 1:52.2.

It was the second straight win in only two starts this year for Booraa N ($4.00) who is owned by her driver Cushing along with Kevin Sywyk. Heidi Gibbs is the winning trainer.

BOORAA N REPLAY

Other participants scoring two wins during the card included drivers Matty “Ice” Athearn and Kevin Switzer Jr. and trainer Elisha Lafreniere.

There was a huge payout at Plainridge on Thursday after the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta was hit in the ninth race. The combination of 4-7-5-3-1 paid $21,168 for a 20-cent wager.

Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Thursday (May 4) at 4 p.m. and that card will feature a $542 carryover in the Pick-6 in race four.

Thursday will also see the first stake action of the season at Plainridge Park when two divisions of the Paul Revere Pace for 3-year-olds will go postward for a total of $100,000 in purses.

For complete race results, click here.

by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts