Reynolds Stake and Colonial Trot Monday at Plainridge
Plainville, MA — The Grand Circuit makes another stop at Plainridge Park on Monday (Oct. 9) when the $123,000 Reynolds Stake and $51,100 Colonial Trot tops the card.
The Reynolds goes in two divisions. The $61,550 Tar Heel for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings and the accompanying $61,450 Leta Long for 3-year-old pacing fillies.
The morning line favorite in the Tar Heel is Just Bet It All (Betting Line-Just Fine) who has been facing tough competition on the Grand Circuit all year. He finished only four lengths behind It’s My Show in a Pennsylvania Sire Stake in May at Harrah’s Philly, race timed in 1:50 and then was beaten only 3-3/4 lengths by Confederate in the North American Cup elimination at Woodbine while being race timed in 1:49.3.
More recently, Bet It All finished second by a neck in the PASS consolation and was race timed in 1:49.4, again at Harrah’s Philly. Although he only has one win this year, Just Bet It All hit the board 50% of the time and is positioned well here to get his second victory of 2023.
Matty Athearn will drive for trainer Per Engblom.
His toughest competition will come from two local horses: Rooster Bennett and Tack Room Chatter.
Rooster Bennett (So Surreal-Teddy Ballgirl) was the Massachusetts Sire Stake 2-year-old champion last year and is currently undefeated through the first two weeks of the MASS this year. He has five wins in his last seven starts and knows Plainridge Park well as his 1:52.1 lifetime mark was taken there.
Trainer Nancy Longobardi has assigned Nick Graffam to steer this week.
Tack Room Chatter (Huntsville-Happy Hannah) raced in the New York Sire Stakes Excel series all summer before coming to Plainridge the last two weeks, where he finished second and first to take a new lifetime mark of 1:51.4. He is definitely ready for this tilt.
Marcus Miller gets the steer from trainer Melissa Beckwith.
The Leta Long has a full field of nine going postward with a fairly even field drawing in.
Silky Stride (American Ideal-Silk Pajamas) competed on the NYSS all summer and made the final of that series. She also competed in the Park MGM Pace and Empire Breeders Classic, facing the likes of Twin B Joe Fresh. This four-time 2023 winner came up just short in her overnight tune-up at Harrah’s Philly last week and is spotted well here.
Trainer Mark Harder has Plainridge leading driver Bruce Ranger in the bike for this outing.
Racing Hungry (Stay Hungry-Four Starzzz Meliss) was very successful in the Pennsylvania Sire Stake Stallion Series, winning three including the final. She has a lifetime mark of 1:50.1 at Mohegan Sun Pocono and is 10 out of 13 in the money including five wins.
Matty Athearn will drive for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno.
The Colonial Trot is for 3-year-old fillies and this field has stake-tested trotters from five different jurisdictions.
Call Me Goo (Googoo Gaagaa-Callmemza) was dominant in the Maryland Sire Stakes, running off seven consecutive wins to be undefeated in that state. She then moved to Canada for her last three starts where she won the Casual Breeze at Woodbine in a lifetime best 1:52.2. After that, Call Me Goo finished third to Bond in the Elegant Image elimination before drawing post nine in the final where she made an unfortunate break.
She is the richest filly in this race with $164,677 earned so far this year and after a two-week freshening, she is poised to get back to her winning ways in here.
Trainer Jason Skinner has regular driver Jonathan Roberts in the bike.
Tipsy Moni (International Moni-Seaside) is coming off two consecutive wins and four out of her last five, including the final of the Stallion Series at The Meadows. A winner of six races this year, Tipsy Moni has also earned $110,736 and is a serious contender.
Jay Randall picks up the lines for trainer D R Ackerman.
Usosweet Blue Chip (Devious Man-Twin B Kisses) finished second in the Empire Breeders Classic at Vernon Downs in June before heading down the NYSS trail where she did make that final. She has the second most money earned of this group with $119,260 on her card and will be formidable competition for her rivals.
Marcus Miller will drive for trainer Erv Miller.
The Reynolds Stakes will go as race five and six, while the Colonial Trot is carded as race seven. Post time for the first race is 2 p.m. and there will be a $27,197 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race six.
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by Tim Bojarski, for Plainridge Racecourse
