Plainridge Park: Solid field invades for $250K Spirit of Massachusetts

When you supplement into any race luck needs to be on your side.

Generally, it's a significant amount to gain entry into a prestigious stakes event. In the case of Eurobond though, a few forces had to be at work to get the veteran into Sunday's $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts at Plainridge Park.

"If more than eight horses entered, we wouldn't have gotten in," said Travis Alexander, who trains Eurobond, a seven-time winner in 2022 that finished third behind Bella Bellini and Atlanta in Open company at the Meadowlands in June and now faces a formidable group on Sunday.

"We entered him at Yonkers on Friday, but we're going to scratch," said Alexander. "If he couldn't get in at Plainridge we would have raced him there."

Eurobond, a 7-year-old by the stallion Love You, was not an original eligible to the Spirit Of Massachusetts, but Alexander thinks he may have a horse for the course. "When Lindy Farms owned him I think he won like seven out of eight races there," Alexander said.

Bruce Ranger is familiar with the horse and has the driving assignment. While the $20,000 supplemental entry was large, it didn't come with a post guarantee. It was the luck of the draw that saw Eurbond land the pole position in the field of nine, with all going behind the starting gate.

On the outside of the draw are the likely post-time favorites in Lovedbythemasses (post eight) and Alrajah One (post nine). Tim Tetrick has been the regular pilot behind Lovedbythemasses and likes his chances.

"He's been great all year," said Tetrick, who guided Lovedbythemasses to a major victory in May capturing the Maxie Lee at Harrah's Philadelphia while overcoming post seven in the process.

"He's a different horse this year," said Tetrick, comparing Lovedbythemasses' 4-year-old season to 2022. "It's a lot easier to leave the gate with him this year."

While Tetrick recognized the depth of the competition he seemed relieved that perhaps the best horse drew outside of him.

Alrajah One made one of the most impressive debuts by a foreign horse on American soil in quite some time with his explosive stretch rally in the Crawford Farms at the Meadowlands on July 2. In his debut for the Svanstedt stable, Alrajah One rallied home in 25 3/5 in the final quarter to score in 1:50 4/5. Tetrick lamented the second-place finish with Lovedbythemasses.

"We beat Ake's other horse, the one I thought we had to beat," said Tetrick regarding Ecurie D, the race favorite that finished third on that occasion.

Lovedbythemasses has won seven of 10 starts this year for trainer and co-owner Jeff Cullipher.

The Spirit Of Massachusetts has attracted a solid field with Svanstedt also represented by Incommunicado (post five), a horse that seemed to be gaining some momentum that was stalled in last week's Hambletonian Maturity. Incommunicado returns to Plainridge where he was undefeated in four starts as a sophomore, sweeping to the Massachusetts Sire Stakes championship. The Chapter Seven-sired gelding also won last year's Dexter Cup.

Trainer Luc Blais has 2019 Hambletonian winner Forbidden Trade (post six) and stablemate Inaminute Hanover (post seven) set for action, with Forbidden Trade looking to go over $2 million in career earnings with a solid performance.

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Co-featured on Plainridge's Sunday extravaganza will be the $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace where Tetrick hopes to get Lyons Sentinel into the winner's circle.

"I'm happy with the inside draw," said Tetrick. As to the struggles thus far in 2022 for last year's divisional champion, "She just can't go in (1):47. She can go in (1):48," said Tetrick.

While Lyons Sentinel does have a post advantage over her six rivals, she's going to need to be at her absolute best as the field includes some very sharp mares. Blue Diamond Eyes (post two) is fresh off a 1:48 3/5 victory at Oak Grove on Tuesday (July 19) and returns north on a five-race win streak for trainer Ron Burke.

Amazing Dream N (post four) was a solid second behind Test Of Faith in a world-record 1:47 mile last Saturday (July 16) at the Meadowlands for trainer Linda Toscano. The Bettor's Delight-sired 6-year-old arrived stateside with a solid resume and has been formidable in this division all season long.

"We were over-driving her a little bit and I talked to Todd [McCarthy] about it," said Toscano, who admits the mare came with a lot of pressure given her accomplishments overseas. "I was tickled with her last effort. Test Of Faith is in a league of her own so to be second was great."

Racine Bell (post seven) won't be compromised by the outside draw. The 5-year-old by So Surreal has blistering gate speed and impressive staying power. She defeated Test Of Faith in a 1:47 mile at the Meadowlands in the Perfect Sting on July 2. Jason Bartlett has the driving assignment.

Post time is 4:00 p.m. for Sunday's 11-race program at Plainridge Park.