Plainridge: Zeron, Ducharme dominate Massachusetts Sire Stakes finals

Scott Zeron won four of the eight $90,000 Massachusetts Sire Stakes finals for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits that took place on Monday afternoon at Plainridge Park. Trainer George Ducharme had a finals hat trick.

Wyatt J, driven by Zeron, was the equine star of the day as he won his eighth straight race with a hard-fought 1:52 1/5 decision in the 3-year-old colt and gelding pace. Zeron had Wyatt J on the lead through stations of 26 2/5, 55 2/5, and 1:23, but faced a stern first-over test from Spatterdash (Michael Stevenson) and then had to deal with a bid by pocket-sitter R Maddy Blue Chip (Kevin Switzer Jr.) in the lane. Wyatt J was able to handle whatever the competition threw at him, though, defeating R Maddy Blue Chip by half a length. Han Solo (Shawn Gray) was third.

Linda Toscano trains and Ken Jacobs owns Wyatt J, a gelding by American Ideal. This was also Wyatt J's eighth lifetime win, and he has now earned $120,208. He paid $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favorite.

Zeron also won the 2-year-old colt and gelding trot with Incommunicado (by Chapter Seven) for trainer Ake Svanstedt and owners Knutsson Trotting Inc., Little E LLC., Arthur Geiger, and David Stolz in 1:56 2/5 and the 2-year-old colt and gelding pace with Mullinax (by American Ideal) in 1:53 4/5 for trainer Mark Ford and owner Bill Varney before teaming with Ducharme to win the 3-year-old filly trot with his Without A Warning in 1:55. Without A Warning, a daughter of RC Royalty, is owned by breeder Ray Campbell Jr. Ducharme was also second and third in that race with Greyscale (Bruce Ranger) and Dramatra (Gray).

Ducharme partnered with Gray and sire RC Royalty for his two other championships. They annexed the sophomore colt and gelding trot with Campbell Jr.-owned and bred Double Dealing in 1:57 1/5 and came back for another victory in the 2-year-old filly trot with Royal Envy in 1:57 4/5. Royal Envy is a homebred for Campbell Jr. and partner Alfred Ross.

Rounding out the winners in the finals were 2-year-old pacing filly Purameri (by American Ideal), who was victorious in 1:54 1/5 for driver Nick Graffam, trainer Jessica Okusko, and owner Purple Haze Stables LLC. and sophomore pacing filly Ry's Red Rocket (by Sunshine Beach), who tallied on the front-end in 1:54 for driver Matty Athearn, trainer Gretchen Athearn, and owner/breeder Linwood Higgins.