Swedish Starlet holds off Always Bstunning

Plainville, MA — Swedish Starlet N made every stride a winning one after she grabbed the lead early and hung on to it late to win the featured $25,000 Open Handicap pace for harness racing fillies and mares at Plainridge Park on Thursday (Sept. 11) afternoon.

Matty Athearn muscled Swedish Starlet N past Fighting Evil (Nick Graffam) to the lead and settled on the point before the :26.2 quarter. Then as she was making her way to the half, Kevin Switzer Jr. was out and rolling with Always Bstunning N, who engaged Swedish Starlet N as they headed up the backstretch where an epic duel ensued.

Swedish Starlet N and Always Bstunning N were alongside each other, pacing in tandem at three-quarters in 1:23, around the far turn and into the stretch. When they straightened out for home, the battle continued with Always Bstunning N pressing from the outside and Swedish Starlet N responding from the pylons. Always Bstunning N continued to fight all the way to the line, but Swedish Starlet N refused to lose and tripped the beam on top by a head in 1:51, matching her best seasonal time.

It was the fifth win of the year for Swedish Starlet N ($8.00) who pushed her 2025 earnings to $97,250 for owners Tim Bojarski and Tony Gruppo. Jimmy Nickerson was the winning trainer.

SWEDISH STARLET N REPLAY

Later in the $22,000 featured trot, International Law (Shawn Gray) floated outside fifth waiting for the :27.4 front-end dust-up between Bursting With Pride (Bruce Ranger) and Wall Street Edge (Brett Beckwith) to smooth itself out. Once Wall Street Edge gained control, Gray let International Law trot on and took command of the race.

Bill Bauer (Nick Graffam) was next up to challenge and mirrored International Law as they entered the backstretch. The pair then matched strides to three-quarters, around the far turn and all the way down the stretch. However all that time, Bill Bauer never gained the lead as International Law hung tough and won by one-half length in 1:54.4.

International Law ($8.40) is owned by Erv Miller Stable and Douglas Overhiser and trained by Alicia Gray.

Nick Graffam and Mitchell Cushing both had hat tricks at the lines while trainer Wil Dubois won two races of his own.

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

Mass Breeders Stake prep Romper Room series held at Plainridge

The 2025 Massachusetts Breeders Stakes will begin at Plainridge Park on Monday, September 29 and feature all the best state-bred 2 and 3-year-olds in three preliminary legs before it closes out in the finals, in a program that is valued at $2.4 million.

In an effort to get early work for some of the horses targeted to start in those 2-year-old stakes, Plainridge once again offered the Romper Room series and three of those races valued at $17,500 each were contested on Thursday (Sept. 11).

The first was a trot held as a non-betting event before the card began and the Massachusetts-bred Geologic (Captain Corey-Crystalline) tripped out to victory in a memorable stretch duel.

Fairytale Moni (Nick Graffam) took the lead and cut quarters of :30, :59.4 and 1:29.2 while Brett Beckwith sat second with Geologic. Then after the race came off the last turn, Beckwith tipped Geologic and drew alongside Fairytale Moni and the two matched strides all the way to the wire, where Geologic got the win by a nose in a photo in 1:57.1 off a quick :27.3 kicker. The win time was a new lifetime mark for Geologic.

Geologic is owned by his trainer Paul Kelley, in partnership with Go For Glory Stable, Matthew Lamont and VIP Internet Stable.

Ray Campbell Jr. bred the winner.

Then in the first of the two paces, Lyons Blewbyu (Lyonssomewhere-So Rude) moved at the half and won with a strong effort.

Jim Hardy got away fifth with Lyons Blewbyu as Altair Bluechip (Jimmy Whittemore) led to the half in :55.4. Hardy then got Lyons Blewbyu in gear and made his way to the lead on the outside by three-quarters in 1:24.1. But Lyons Blewbyu was not home free as Altair Bluechip remained stout and fought every stride around the turn and into the stretch. The two continued to pace in tandem all the way to the wire where Lyons Blewbyu moved to the lead by a neck in 1:54.1, which was also a new lifetime mark.

Lyons Blewbyu ($5.80) is owned by Roger Arventos and trained by Don Guidette Jr.

Geoffrey Lyons Mound was the winning breeder.

And in the second pace, the Massachusetts-bred Forwhomthebeltolls (Huntsville-Lightning Ride) gained victory off a gate to wire effort.

Heath Campbell sent Forwhomthebeltolls to the point and went unchallenged through quarters of :28.3, :58.1 and 1:27. They rounded the last turn and entered the stretch where the pocket-sitting Seafood Treasure (Brett Beckwith) came out charging and bolted towards the leader. But Forwhomthebeltolls was ready and wouldn’t give any ground as she maintained her advantage and won by a length in 1:56.4.

The heavily favored Forwhomthebeltolls ($2.80) is owned by The OK Corral and trained by George Ducharme.

Ross Bonafield bred Forwhomthebeltolls.

Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday (Sept. 15) at 2 p.m. with a $2,981 carryover in the Wicked Hi-5 wager 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.

by Tim Bojarski, for Plainridge Park