Walner fillies sweep Mass-bred dashes

Plainville, MA — With the lazy, hazy days of summer firmly in place, fall is not too far off and that means the Massachusetts Sire Stakes will be here before long.

At Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon (Aug. 5) a pair of Massachusetts-bred 3-year-old trotting fillies who are eligible to the lucrative state sponsored series, each scored impressive harness racing victories during the afternoon and both are quickly improving in advance of those stakes.

Dancin On The Wall (Walner-Lovely Lindy) shipped back to Plainridge Park after successive stake engagements in the Zweig at Vernon Downs and the Geers at the Meadowlands — where she was raced timed back-to-back in 1:53.3 — and won a $8,500 non-winners event for 5-year-old and under trotters while taking a new lifetime mark.

Driver Bruce Ranger went right to the front with Dancin On The Wall and cut fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:25.2 while also lengthening the lead at each split. When they turned for home, Dancin On The Wall simply annihilated the field by pulling away to an 11-1/2 length victory in a new career best of 1:54.4.

DANCIN ON THE WALL REPLAY

Ranger also drove Origin Story (Walner-Highscore Kemp) who went a very similar trip in a second non-winners event for 5-year-olds and under that went for $11,500. Origin Story took the lead off the gate and went :28.2, :58 and 1:28 over what was at that point a rain-soaked track.

After racing around the final turn, Origin Story turned for home and pulled away to a three length victory in 1:57.1 to extend her current winning streak to four in a row.

Dancin On The Wall and Origin Story are both trained by Domenico Cecere and are owned by K R Breeding, who bred both fillies.

The Massachusetts Sire Stakes begin on Sunday (Sept. 25) and run through Monday (Oct. 24) when all eight finals will be held. There are 83 2-year-old and 76 3-year-old trotters and pacers eligible this year and the connections of all 159 horses have the following dates circled on their calendars.

Sunday (Sept. 25)

3-year-old first leg

Monday (Sept. 26)

2-year-old first leg

Sunday (Oct. 2)

3-year-old second leg

Monday (Oct. 3)

2-year-old second leg

Sunday (Oct. 16)

2-year-old third leg

Monday (Oct. 17)

3-year-old third leg

Monday (Oct. 24)

2 & 3-year-old finals

For more information about the Massachusetts Sire Stakes you can log onto the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts website at sominc.net.

For complete race results, click here.

by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts