Platinum AS strikes late in top trot

Plainville, MA — After following live cover from the half, Platinum AS got up in the shadow of the wire to win the $25,000 Open trotting feature at Plainridge Park on Monday (July 14) afternoon.

By The Book (Kevin Switzer Jr.) and Deadline Hall (Aaron Byron) traded leads through the :27.3 quarter with Deadline Hall settling on the front as they passed the stands the first time. A tepid :29.2 second panel forced action from behind and that came from A New Leader (Mitchell Cushing) who pulled first-over and brought Platinum AS (Drew Campbell) in tow with him.

A New Leader sidled Deadline Hall on the backstretch and the pair stepped off a snappy :27.3 third quarter before entering the turn. At the top of the final bend, Campbell tipped Platinum AS three-wide around the tiring A New Leader and had Deadline Hall in his sights. The two trotters battled to the line where Platinum AS got the nod by a nose in 1:54, tying his seasonal mark.

It was the sixth win of the year for Platinum AS ($9.20) who is owned by FAC Racing, Brett Beckwith and Yannick Gingras and trained by Melissa Beckwith.

PLATINUM AS REPLAY

Earlier in the $21,000 upper-level conditioned trot, Sea Can (Muscle Mass) was victorious on the strength of a career effort.

Sea Can (Nick Graffam) got away sixth as Snowpiercer (Drew Monti) took the field to the half in :55.4. Cruising Tom (Matty Athearn) pulled first-over and Sea Can followed as they trotted to three-quarters. As the race moved through the last turn, Graffam got Sea Can underway and put him in the middle of the track at the top of the stretch where he swelled up and flew home clear by 2-½ lengths to win in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.4.

Sea Can ($2.80) went over the $400,000 mark in lifetime earnings on the strength of his 24th career win, now boasting $405,489 in earnings for owners Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi.

SEA CAN REPLAY

Drivers Drew Campbell, Mitchell Cushing, Nick Graffam and Drew Monti and trainer Kathleen Brewer all had two wins apiece during the card on Monday.

On Sunday (July 20) Plainridge Park will host the biggest day of racing in New England when the Grand Circuit returns featuring the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot and $100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace. Post time for this outstanding day of harness action gets underway at 2 p.m.

Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (July 15) at 4 p.m. and there will be a $14,106 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta in race six.

Free full past performance programs and race replays for all live racing days at Plainridge Park can be found at plainridgeparkcasino.com.

For complete race entries, click here: US Trotting entries.

by Tim Bojarski, for Plainridge Park