Plainridge: Posts drawn for Spirit Of Massachusetts Trot, Clara Barton Distaff Pace

The field for the ninth edition of the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot was drawn on Wednesday (July 15) and revealed that seven top trotters will line up for the $300,000 Grade 2 event on Sunday (July 19) during a special 2 p.m. (EDT) matinee at Plainridge Park.

Headlining the group is a powerful pair from the Ron Burke Stable, double millionaire and 2025 Dan Patch Trotter of the Year, Lexus Kody, who just won in a Meadowlands track record-tying 1:49 4/5 in his last start, and Antognoni S, who is coming off a career year of 16 wins and just under one-half million in earnings. He comes into this race a perfect five-for-five in 2026 and on an eight-race win streak going back to last year.

Also drawing in are two more millionaires. First is Ake Svanstedt's Up Your Deo, who finished second by only a neck to Lexus Kody in the 1:49 4/5 track record clocking most recently at the Meadowlands, and is the defending Spirit of Massachusetts Trot Champion after his 1:51 upset victory in the stake last year. The other seven-figure earner is Aetos Kronos S from the Marcus Melander Stable, who finished third behind Lexus Kody and Up Your Deo in that race at the Meadowlands, and is coming off a year that saw him score a personal season's record six wins and lifetime-best clocking of 1:49 4/5 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The field also includes three trotters who have already competed at Plainridge this year. Mitchell Cushing's A New Leader, Enrico Robinson's Hey Porter and Cory Stratton's Security Protected.

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Wednesday's draw also included the $150,000 Grade 3 Clara Barton Distaff Pace, where six classy mares found their starting spots for Sunday.

The leading lady will once again be Chris Ryder's multi-decorated Twin B Joe Fresh, whose most recent award was being named the 2025 Dan Patch Older Pacing Mare of the Year and is currently just shy of $3 million in lifetime earnings. She comes in on a roll with two wins in identical 1:48 4/5 clockings; the second while scoring her third straight Dorothy Haughton Memorial victory at the Meadowlands. Twin B Joe Fresh will be making her second straight start in the Barton.

Also in the race is Andrew Harris' Unreasonable, who has been in hot pursuit of Twin B Joe Fresh in her last two starts, finishing third and then second last week by only one-half length in a 25 2/5 bullet closing panel in the G2 Dorothy Haughton at the Meadowlands.

Two more from Ron Burke are in the Barton, namely millionairess Rodeo Drive Deo, who has already won this year in 1:49 4/5, and stablemate Champagne Room. Brett Pelling's Rocket Deo, who won recently at Plainridge in 1:50 1/5 and Enrico Robinson's Talk Curdy To Me, who took her seasonal mark of 1:50 3/5 at Plainridge last year, rounded out the field.

The Clara Barton Distaff Pace is programmed as the seventh race with an estimated post time of 4 p.m. (EDT) and the Spirit of Massachusetts trot will follow in race eight with an estimated post time of 4:20 p.m. (EDT).

Here are the complete draws in post position order:

$300,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot

1. Lexus Kody - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke
2. Hey Porter - Brett Beckwith - Enrico Robinson
3. A New Leader - Mitchell Cushing - Mitchell Cushing
4. Antognoni S - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
5. Security Protected - Cory Stratton - Cory Stratton
6. Up Your Deo - Ake Svanstedt - Ake Svanstedt
7. Aetos Kronos S - Dexter Dunn - Marcus Melander

$150,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace

1. Rodeo Drive Deo - Yannick Gringras - Ron Burke
2. Talk Curdy To Me - Brett Beckwith - Enrico Robinson
3. Twin B Joe Fresh - Dexter Dunn - Chris Ryder
4. Unreasonable - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris
5. Rocket Deo - Tim Tetrick - Brett Pelling
6. Champagne Room - Tim Tetrick - Ron Burke

--press release (Plainridge Park)--