Plainridge Park: Gingras, Antognoni go for the top prize in Spirit of Massachusetts

Hall of Famer Yannick Gingras is hoping that Sunday's $300,000 Grade 2 Spirit Of Massachusetts at Plainridge Park will prove to be a defining moment for Antognoni S, a 6-year-old son of Father Patrick that he has been an integral part of since arriving in North America. The Swedish-bred amassed 16 victories in 2025 in North America while building a reputation, racing primarily at Yonkers Raceway.

In 2026, Antognoni S has picked up where he left off for trainer Ron Burke, who co-owns the horse along with Gingras and other partners Weaver Bruscemi and FAC Racing. Victorious in all five starts this year, including the Grade 3 Maxie Lee over the five-eighths mile Harrah's Philadelphia oval, Antongnoni S meets his toughest test on Sunday.

"He's done everything we've asked thus far," said Gingras. "We'll see how he handles this level of competition."

For Antognoni S, the step up may not be that great with stablemate Lexus Kody (post one) the likely favorite in the race. "He's beaten Lexus Kody in training miles," said Gingras. "But races are much different."

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There is every reason to believe Antognoni S is ready to tackle the best in the sport, and Gingras has witnessed first-hand the difference from January of 2025 to today.

"He's a much more relaxed horse now than he was when he first arrived," said Gingras. "Ronnie (Burke) was actually able to train him the other day and noticed the difference."

The calm is a key aspect to any trotter, but in Antognoni S it is the storm that comes after it that is worth noting. "He's probably one of the fastest trotters I've driven for a short distance," said Gingras.

On Sunday, Antognoni S (post four) meets a solid field of seven, with defending champion Up Your Deo (post six) and the rugged Aetos Kronos S (post seven) on the outside looking in but very much solid factors in the contest. Up Your Deo pushed Lexus Kody to the limits in the Grade 3 JL Cruze at the Meadowlands on July 4, racing a long way without cover in a brisk second-half and coming just a neck shy in the 1:49 4/5 mile. A 6-year-old by Walner, Up Your Deo is approaching $1.2 million in career earnings.

Aetos Kronos S has hit the board in all four of his starts this year. The 10-year-old son of Bold Eagle finished third behind Antognoni S in the Lee while starting from post eight. The Marcus Melander trainee, with $1.7 million banked during his career, was most recently third in the JL Cruze while trapped inside much of the stretch.

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Lexus Kody, the 2025 Dan Patch Award winner as Trotter of the Year, turned the corner on his 2026 campaign in the JL Cruze with his first sub-1:50 mile of the season. Tim Tetrick will reunite with the 8-year-old, having driven him at the Meadowlands over two years ago. An 11-time winner in a vintage 2025 campaign, Lexus Kody went over the $2 million mark with his 39th career triumph in the JL Cruze and looks to add to that bank account in the rich Spirit of Massachusetts, race eight of 11 on Sunday's stakes-filled program.

Rounding out the field will be Hey Porter (post two), A New Leader (post three) and Security Protected (post five).

Co-featured on the Plainridge program will be the $150,000 Clara Barton, a Grade 3 event for pacing mares with six going forward, including 2024 Horse of the Year Twin B Joe Fresh (post three). Gingras will guide Rodeo Drive Deo in the compact field.

"She's had no luck with the draw all season long," said Gingras of the Ron Burke-trained 4-year-old that drew posts nine and 10 in a pair of stakes events at the Meadowlands over the last two weeks. "She's been racing well, though I'm not sure if she can beat Twin B Joe Fresh."

Twin B Joe Fresh will likely surpass the $3 million mark in lifetime earnings in the Clara Barton given she's just $10K shy of that milestone. The Chris Ryder-trained 6-year-old got off to a rocky start in 2026 but has righted the ship noticeably in her last three starts. In the Grade 2 Dorothy Haughton Memorial driver and co-owner Dexter Dunn put Twin B Joe Fresh on the front-end and was able to rate soft middle-half fractions on her way to a 1:48 4/5 victory over Unreasonable, a mare she'll meet again on Sunday.

Unreasonable had a spring campaign at Oak Grove racing in the Kentucky Sires program but graduated nicely to the Open class with a third- and second-place finish in the Perfect Sting and Dorothy Haughton Memorial over the last two weeks. A daughter of Huntsville trained by Andrew Harris, Unreasonable starts from post four with Todd McCarthy to drive.

Rounding out the field for the Clara Barton are Talk Curdy To Me (post two), Rocket Deo (post five) and Champagne Room (post six).

First post for Sunday's Plainridge Park program is listed at 2:00 P.M. (EDT).