Plainridge: Massachusetts Breeders Stakes season commences

The 2024 Massachusetts Breeders Stakes kicked off at Plainridge Park on Monday (Sept. 23) afternoon with 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits lining up for their share of the $305,000 in available purses.

All four 2-year-old Massachusetts champions were on hand to defend their titles with Every Man's Dream, Keep Asking and Rocknroll Lou all getting a jump on a second straight title.

Stars of the day included drivers Yannick Gingras and Scott Zeron and trainers Ron Burke and George Ducharme, who all had two wins in stake action on Monday.

In the first of two $40,000 pacing filly divisions, Every Man's Dream (Always B Miki-Lindy's Nightmare) set a stake record after she registered a statement win in her non-betting event.

Gingras got away third with Every Man's Dream as Beantown Ace (Nick Graffam) set the tempo to the half in 57 3/5. Every Man's Dream was out and rolling past that station and took the lead at three-quarters. From there, Every Man's Dream was in a race of her own as she opened up by 11 lengths and broke the beam in 1:52 1/5.

It was the second consecutive win for Every Man's Dream, who is owned by Thomas and Scott Dillon and trained by Burke. Lindy Farms of Connecticut bred the winner.

The second pacing filly split went to the 1-9 favorite Color Me Sweet (So Surreal-Letherriptaterchip), who led the whole race by an open length for driver Shawn Gray before turning for home and stretching out to a 2 1/2 length victory over Going My Way (Bruce Ranger) in 1:56 1/5 to claim her fourth consecutive win.

Color Me Sweet ($2.10) is owned by her breeder/trainer Alicia Gray, in partnership with Sarah Brown.

A single $75,000 division for trotting colts and geldings was next, and Keep Asking (Chapter Seven-Sensibility) picked up where he left off in this series last year.

Zeron pushed Keep Asking off the gate and took the lead before they entered the turn. They then set fractions of 27 2/5, 57 1/5 and 1:25 3/5 before the pocket-sitting Intl Blockade (Bruce Ranger) pulled to advance towards the leader. Keep Asking and Intl Blockade then matched strides around the last turn and entered the stretch dead even. But three pylons into the lane, Intl Blockade made a break, leaving Keep Asking by himself to cross the wire on top by 1 1/4 lengths over International Law (Marcus Miller) in 1:54 2/5.

The win pushed Keep Asking ($2.40) over the half-million dollar mark in lifetime earnings, as the colt has now earned $502,699 for owners W.J. Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, Jim Winske and George Ducharme, who also trains the winner. Donovan, Sbrocco and Winske bred Keep Asking.

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The trotting fillies were up next in their $75,000 event, and International Gift (International Moni-Box Of Gifts) got her second straight win at Plainridge.

Zeron left with International Gift and led the single-file field through quarters of 28 4/5, 58 2/5 and 1:27 2/5. At that last station, Gingras tipped Dawn Of Lindy from third and blasted towards the leader. International Gift and Dawn Of Lindy trotted side-by-side around the last turn and into the stretch where International Gift got a slight advantage to beat Dawn Of Lindy and a fast-closing Sassy Zaza (Brett Beckwith) in 1:55 4/5.

International Gift ($3.40) is owned by her trainer George Ducharme, in partnership with Winter's Racing and Nicola Oliva. Ducharme and Oliva also bred the filly.

The last $75,000 dash for the day was for pacing colts and geldings, and Rocknroll Lou (Sweet Lou-Beautiful Lady) flexed his muscles in his first win of the year.

Gingras took a gradual overland route to the front but eventually took control at the 27 3/5 quarter. With Bang Ah Uey (Jim Hardy) sitting right in the pocket, Rocknroll Lou got to the half in 56 1/5 before being challenged by Poverty Sucks (Nick Graffam) to three-quarters. Rocknroll Lou paced clear after Poverty Sucks broke off the turn before Bang Ah Uey tipped at the top of the lane to take his shot. But Rocknroll Lou was not to be beaten as he coasted home by two lengths in a lifetime-best 1:52 4/5.

Rocknroll Lou ($2.80) is owned by Thomas and Scott Dillon and is trained by Ron Burke. Lester Gelardi and Anthony Passafaro bred the winner.

Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Sept. 24) at 2 p.m., and the card will feature the first 2-year-old legs of the 2024 Massachusetts Breeders Stakes.

--press release (Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)--