Plainridge: Second leg of Massachusetts Sire Stakes action for sophomores held

It was round two for the 3-year-olds of both gaits and genders in the Massachusetts Sire Stakes at Plainridge Park on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 4), and Wyatt J shone the brightest for the second week in-a-row in the $28,000 division for pacing colts and geldings.

Teamed with driver Jason Bartlett for the first time, the heavily-bet Wyatt J (American Ideal-Think Pink) left sharply and cut the quarter in 26 1/5 and called the shots for the rest of the mile from there. With little pressure to deal with, Wyatt J hit the half in 56, the three-quarters in 1:24 1/5, and then started to open up around the last turn. With the race well in-hand, Bartlett line drove Wyatt J to the wire in 1:51 3/5, winning by 2 3/4 lengths.

The time broke the MASS record for 3-year-old pacing geldings and was a new career-best clocking for the winner, eclipsing his marks for both that were set just last week.

It was also the sixth win in-a-row for Wyatt J ($2.10), who is owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano. Lindy Farms of Connecticut bred the winner.

The filly pacers went for $28,500, and Ry's Red Rocket (Sunshine Beach-Mo Molly Blue Chip) bounced back from a narrow defeat last week.

Opening up a two length lead by the quarter, Ry's Red Rocket (Matty Athearn) paced alone until the five-eighths when I Am Wonder Woman (Bartlett) and She's A Fireball (Ron Cushing) rolled up the rim, and Sara Tancredi (Nick Graffam), who was tripping out, started some pressure that would continue to the wire. The two outside horses fanned wide of the leader at the top of the lane while Sara Tancredi advanced along the pylons. With four horses across the track within a length of each other, Ry's Red Rocket continued to dig in and eventually hung on to a neck advantage in 1:54 2/5.

It was the fifth win of the year for Ry's Red Rocket ($4.60), who is owned and was bred by Linwood Higgins and is trained by Gretchen Athearn.

The two trot divisions were owned by trainer George Ducharme and owner Ray Campbell Jr., who won both.

The colts and geldings went for $28,500, and Double Dealing (RC Royalty-Heather Spur) got his second consecutive MASS win.

Dazzling Lindy (Mitchell Cushing) led the race to the half before Double Dealing (Shawn Gray) pulled the pocket past the half and took control before the five-eighths. From there, Double Dealing opened up a gapped lead and pulled away to a two length margin of victory in 1:56 4/5.

Double Dealing ($2.60) registered his sixth win of 2020.

The $27,500 filly trot was a non-betting event and was a runaway win for Without A Warning (RC Royalty-Concentration), who was not challenged at all.

Without A Warning (Bartlett) went right to the front, and after posting quarters of 28 3/5, 58 4/5, and 1:27, hit the top of the stretch up by three lengths and jogged to the wire in front by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:55.

Without A Warning scored her fourth win of the year and now has $166,912 in earnings this year.

--press release (Plainridge)--