Rosecroft Offers Solid Tuesday Card
While the harness racing scene in Delaware shifted to Dover Downs on Monday night, the standardbred action in Maryland will continue at Rosecroft Raceway on Tuesday as the five-eighths mile oval offers a solid card of overnight events for pacers and trotters.
At the midway point of the card a decent group of aged pacers will clash in a non-winners of $4000 last five conditioned event where Action Brad (Jonathan Roberts) and Zoeez Boy Henry (Frank Milby) will vie for favoritism. But Last Shot Leeton (William Carter) merits respect in this spot at 6-1 or so, as does Boardwalk Gangster (Sean Bier) and Rebel Soldier (Kim Vincent), owned, bred and trained by Steve Warrington of Sanabelle Island fame.
One race later on the card a solid group of conditioned trotters will go postward in a non-winners of $5000 last five starts event. Doggone Slots (Roger Plante, Jr.) has been second twice and third once in four local outings and has every right to make amends after finishing a fast-closing second as the 3-5 choice last week. Just to his outside is Third Coast (Brian Burton) who rallied from far back to finish second against tougher last week, while Playboy Buddy Rose (Brandon Henley) gets considerable post relief and will leave from post two.
Then one race later the top aged pacers on the circuit will face off again in the $12,000 Open Handicap, with horse of the meet honors and perhaps an invite to the inaugural Free State Free-For-All on the line.
Rock N Roll Jet (Kim Vincent) has won three straight starts, including consecutive tries in the Open for owner-trainer Buddy Bright, while Captive Audience (Brian Burton) will leave from just inside him following a fourth-place effort as the 2-1 favorite in this event last week. Diamondkeeper (Plante) won the initial Open here on Sep. 13 and prevailed two weeks ago in the top class for owner-trainer Basil Sapienza and is enjoying a stellar five-year-old campaign that has already seen him garner the horse of the meet title at Ocean Downs this summer.
One race later in the $10,500 Winners Over class, railbound Hide Me Away (Russell Foster) drops out of the Open after three modest tries, Rocktavius (Roberts) is looking put the finishing touches on a solid three-year-old campaign for trainer Megan Roberts, while JW Renegade (John Mackinnon) makes his second start back after missing several weeks due to sickness and certainly has every right to regain the form that saw him win his first two outings over the strip after arriving from Harrington.
At the midway point of the card a decent group of aged pacers will clash in a non-winners of $4000 last five conditioned event where Action Brad (Jonathan Roberts) and Zoeez Boy Henry (Frank Milby) will vie for favoritism. But Last Shot Leeton (William Carter) merits respect in this spot at 6-1 or so, as does Boardwalk Gangster (Sean Bier) and Rebel Soldier (Kim Vincent), owned, bred and trained by Steve Warrington of Sanabelle Island fame.
One race later on the card a solid group of conditioned trotters will go postward in a non-winners of $5000 last five starts event. Doggone Slots (Roger Plante, Jr.) has been second twice and third once in four local outings and has every right to make amends after finishing a fast-closing second as the 3-5 choice last week. Just to his outside is Third Coast (Brian Burton) who rallied from far back to finish second against tougher last week, while Playboy Buddy Rose (Brandon Henley) gets considerable post relief and will leave from post two.
Then one race later the top aged pacers on the circuit will face off again in the $12,000 Open Handicap, with horse of the meet honors and perhaps an invite to the inaugural Free State Free-For-All on the line.
Rock N Roll Jet (Kim Vincent) has won three straight starts, including consecutive tries in the Open for owner-trainer Buddy Bright, while Captive Audience (Brian Burton) will leave from just inside him following a fourth-place effort as the 2-1 favorite in this event last week. Diamondkeeper (Plante) won the initial Open here on Sep. 13 and prevailed two weeks ago in the top class for owner-trainer Basil Sapienza and is enjoying a stellar five-year-old campaign that has already seen him garner the horse of the meet title at Ocean Downs this summer.
One race later in the $10,500 Winners Over class, railbound Hide Me Away (Russell Foster) drops out of the Open after three modest tries, Rocktavius (Roberts) is looking put the finishing touches on a solid three-year-old campaign for trainer Megan Roberts, while JW Renegade (John Mackinnon) makes his second start back after missing several weeks due to sickness and certainly has every right to regain the form that saw him win his first two outings over the strip after arriving from Harrington.
Then two races later in a competitive non-winners of $4000 last five starts class for aged pacers, Key West Hanover (Burton), Real Impulsive (Milby), Toms Tornado (Roberts) and Dancing Rusty (Plante) will look to regain their winning ways after facing much tougher in their last two outings, while Mi Six (Chris Offutt) will seek his third straight tally while making a class hike for owner-trainer Brittany Bounds.
Speaking of the Dover Downs card on Monday, Mel Mara (Corey Callahan) easily lived up to his role as the 1-5 favorite in the $30,000 Open/Preferred Handicap when he overcame post six to gain command in a 26.1 opener, got a breather to the half in 54.3 and then edged clear from the pocket-sitting Dancin Yankee (Tim Tetrick) to score by two lengths in 1:49.1. The durable aged gelding trained by Dylan Davis has already faced considerably tougher foes in major stakes this year and he could see several of them again in three weeks.
Mel Mara is among the short list of talented aged pacers expected to get officially invited to the inaugural $100,000 Free State Free-For-All at Rosecroft Raceway on Tuesday, November 22. Also expected to get an invite is reigning horse of the year, Wiggle It Jiggleit, who was second in last week's Breeders Crown Open Pace final, along with Crown participants Mach It So, Shamballa, Split The House and Levy series hero, Bit Of A Legend N. Wiggle It Jiggleit is slated to compete next in the $500,000 TVG Final on Nov. 12 at the Meadowlands.
Speaking of the Dover Downs card on Monday, Mel Mara (Corey Callahan) easily lived up to his role as the 1-5 favorite in the $30,000 Open/Preferred Handicap when he overcame post six to gain command in a 26.1 opener, got a breather to the half in 54.3 and then edged clear from the pocket-sitting Dancin Yankee (Tim Tetrick) to score by two lengths in 1:49.1. The durable aged gelding trained by Dylan Davis has already faced considerably tougher foes in major stakes this year and he could see several of them again in three weeks.
Mel Mara is among the short list of talented aged pacers expected to get officially invited to the inaugural $100,000 Free State Free-For-All at Rosecroft Raceway on Tuesday, November 22. Also expected to get an invite is reigning horse of the year, Wiggle It Jiggleit, who was second in last week's Breeders Crown Open Pace final, along with Crown participants Mach It So, Shamballa, Split The House and Levy series hero, Bit Of A Legend N. Wiggle It Jiggleit is slated to compete next in the $500,000 TVG Final on Nov. 12 at the Meadowlands.
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