Plainridge: Spirit Of Massachusetts Trot, Clara Barton Distaff Pace on tap Sunday

A full field of nine top open trotters drew in for the eighth edition of the Grade 2 $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts to be held at Plainridge Park on Sunday (July 20). Post time for the first race is 2 p.m. (EDT).

Four trainers have entered two trotters apiece in the Spirit, including two who have won this race in the past and two who are looking to get their first victory this year.

Ron Burke, who won this stake the past two years with It's Academic, will be bringing Lexus Kody and Chapercraz. Ake Svanstedt, who won the 2022 Spirit with Alrajah One, has entered Up Your Deo and Get A Wish.

Looking to hoist the trophy for the first time are Marcus Melander, who will be making a strong bid with the pair of Periculum and Aetos Kronos and Tony Alagna, who is bringing Ari Ferrai J and Daiquiri Hanover.

Finalizing the field of nine is Logan Park, who Canadian conditioner Robert Fellows will be starting for the second straight year.

The field boasts combined total lifetime earnings of over $9 million dollars, including five individual millionaires, two sub-1:50 performers and 158 total career wins among the entrants. The race is carded as race nine with an estimated post time of 4:40 p.m. (EDT).

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

The Grade 3 $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace was also drawn and six mares will compete, including "millionaire's row" from posts four to six. Heading the field is Chris Ryder's 2024 Dan Patch Horse of the Year, Twin B Joe Fresh. She will renew her rivalry with Mark Steacy's $1.9 million winner Sylvia Hanover, who won the Barton last year and handed Twin B Joe Fresh her first loss since October of 2024 three weeks ago. Also challenging will be Andrew Harris' $1.5 million winner, My Girl EJ, Jeff Culipher's Talk Curdy To Me, Ake Svanstedt's Valar Dohaeris and Heidi Cushing's Turn The Page N.

This group of girls have combined lifetime earnings of $7,347,480 and 115 wins.

The estimated post time for the Clara Barton DIstaff Pace is 4:00 p.m. (EDT).

Here is the full draw for both stakes:

$250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot

1-Up Your Deo (Ake Svanstedt, Ake Svanstedt)
2-Chapercraz (David Miller, Ron Burke)
3-Logan Park (Doug McNair, Robert Fellows)
4-Get A Wish (Tim Tetrick, Ake Svanstedt)
5-Ari Ferrari J (Brett Beckwith, Tony Alagna)
6-Periculum (Scott Zeron, Marcus Melander)
7-Lexus Kody (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
8-Aetos Kronos (Dexter Dunn, Marcus Melander)
9-Daiquiri Hanover (Drew Monti, Tony Alagna)
AE-Lovedbythemasses (Tim Tetrick, Jeff Culipher)

$100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace

1-Talk Curdy To Me (Brett Beckwith, Jeff Cullipher)
2-Valar Dohaeris (Yannick GIngras, Ake Svanstedt)
3-Turn The Page N (Ron Cushing, Heidi Cushing)
4 Twin B Joe Fresh (Dexter Dunn, Chris Ryder)
5- Sylvia Hanover (Tim Tetrick, Mark Steacy)
6-My Girl EJ (Todd McCarthy, Andrew Harris)

--press release (Plainridge)--