After hitting the board five consecutive times heading into today’s action, Pammy Jo scored her first victory of 2021 in Thursday’s $15,000 Open Handicap pace for fillies and mares at Plainridge Park.
Pammy Jo (Shawn Gray) left from post four and tucked in behind a hard-charging The Fun Marshall (Bruce Ranger) then remained there for the first half of the race. After a swift :26.1 first quarter and :55.3 half, Gray pulled Pammy Jo at the five-eighths only to be quickly rebuffed back to the pylons by The Fun Marshall, who stepped up the pace again in a :27.3 third panel. After the mares rounded the final turn, Gray pulled Pammy Jo once again and this time went right by the leader. Pammy Jo marched home in :28.3 to post a 2-1/2 length win in 1:52, which was a seasonal mark.
Pammy Jo ($2.40) is owned by Jeffrey Epstein, who privately purchased the mare this past January.
In the co-featured $15,000 distaff non-winners pace for six-year-olds and under, the 2020 Massachusetts Sire Stake three-year-old pacing filly champion Rys Red Rocket (Matty Athearn) took and early lead before yielding to Maverick Fibre (John Nason) to take the pocket trip. The mare stayed patient until the top of the stretch where she pulled, went by Maverick Fibre and then held off the late closing Rockin Ellie (Bruce Ranger) and Sweet Sue (Jim Hardy) to win by a neck in 1:56.3.
Owned by Linwood Higgins and trained by Gretchen Athearn, Rys Red Rocket ($6.40) scored her first win of 2021 in her first attempt of the year.
The second fastest mile of the day was registered by Roll With Dom (Ron Cushing) after he cleared past the quarter and then led the rest of the way en route to a 2-3/4 length win in 1:52.3, which was a new lifetime mark.
Roll With Dom ($2.60) is owned by the Ed Hart Stable, Tamms Horse Farm LLC and Sweeney Downs LLC and is trained by Heidi Gibbs.
Driver Bruce Ranger had a huge day in the bike, winning five races on the card. Ranger scored with Frills N Lace (1:56.2, $3.20), Mach Me Onemore (1:56.1, $2.60), Hired Luck (1:55.1, $6.80), Royalty Again (1:54.3, $14.20) and Major Ted (1:57.3, $9.00). After two days of action, Ranger is the dash leading driver of young Plainridge meet.
Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.
(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)