Open events highlight Tuesday card at Rosecroft

A trio of Open events on the latter half of the Tuesday evening card at Rosecroft Raceway proved contentious and formful just two days shy of Thanksgiving Day.

One week after finishing a sharp second as the slight favorite in the $12,500 Open 1 class for pacers, Varsity Hanover (Donald Dancer) grinder his way to a gritty first over score in 1:52.4 on Tuesday as an overlooked 5-1 shot.

A six-year-old Modern Art gelding owned and trained by James Whalen, Jr., Varsity Hanover notched his fifth win in 21 starts this year and pushed his seasonal earnings past $34,000 with his determined triumph. He has been second in each of his three previous outings.

Hi Sir (Russell Foster) closed willingly in the lane to finish a sharp second in his quest for his second straight Open 1 tally. Both Hi Sir and Varsity Hanover now look poised to share horse of the meet honors this fall.

One race later on the card, I Wanna Go Fast (Sean Bier) easily uncorked the fastest mile of the night when he led throughout to capture the $10,000 Open 2 class in 1:51.1.

An eight-year-old Three Olives gelding bred and trained by Brian Callahan, I Wanna Go Fast lived up to his name when he set all the fractions en route to his sixth win from 25 starts this year, pushing his seasonal earnings to nearly $42,000.

Then one race later on the card, Windsong Ingenius (Foster) delivered a sharp effort to capture the $10,000 Open 2 event for trotters. A six-year-old Kadabra gelding owned and trained by Arty Foster, Jr., Windsong Ingenius now owns a 7-4-13 slate and $60,000 bankroll from 39 starts this year.

One race later Concert Artist (Chris Offutt) rallied from far back and widest of all to prevail in a conditioned event in 1:52.4 for owner-trainer Brian Tomlinson. Before the Open events, Fashion Smile (Jonathan Roberts) delivered a sharp score in a conditions event for trotters for trainer Megan Roberts and earlier Pop Pop Joe ( Ken Weckstein) kicked off the card by winning a conditioned event for pacers in 1:52.4 in his local debut for trainer Ken Schlotzhauer.