Be Ready To Rock leads Beckwith’s big day

Plainville, MA — Taking full advantage of a perfect trip, Be Ready To Rock pounced late to win the $17,000 conditioned pace for 4-year-olds and under that topped the card at Plainridge Park on Thursday (July 30) afternoon. 

When the gate released the field, Brett Beckwith took the garden spot with Be Ready To Rock behind Sunsational (Bruce Ranger), who cut fractions of 26.3 and :55 to the half ahead of a somewhat spread out field. As the race moved towards three-quarters, Be Ready To Rock pulled first-over and drew alongside the leader as they entered the far turn. The two matched strides from there to halfway down the stretch where Be Ready To Rock pulled away by 1-¾ lengths to win in 1:51.1 and take a new lifetime mark.

BE READY TO ROCK REPLAY

Be Ready To Rock ($12.20) is owned and trained by Domenico Longobardi.

Beckwith also won the $15,000 conditioned event for the 4-year-old and under group with Beantown Dragon, who was a gate to wire winner after pacing quarters in :27.2, :57.1 and 1:25.2, before darting home in :28 flat to win in 1:53.2.

The heavily favored Beantown Dragon ($3.40) is owned by Michael Goldberg Racing and trained by Chuck Connor Jr.

Brett Beckwith ended the day with a grand slam after also winning with Favorable Draw (1:52.1, $2.80) and Brazos (1:53.3, $4.00).

Longtime Plainridge Park horseman Mike Eaton, who trains regularly at the track, has not won a pari-mutuel race at the lines since October of 2020 when he teamed All About Rusty to victory at Monticello Raceway. Now almost six years later, the 63-year-old Eaton has decided to put the driving colors back on and he was anything but rusty as he teamed up with another classy veteran, the 14-year-old Quick Shot, who won his 62nd career race in 1:54. Quick Shot has been racing at Plainridge for the last 11 years for owner/trainer Kathleen Brewer and will retire at the end of this meet.

Racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday (Aug 3) at 4 p.m.

Free full card past performance programs for every live card of racing at Plainridge Park can always be downloaded at their website (plainridgeparkcasino.com) under the “Racing” tab. You can also watch all the race replays on that same page.

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

by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts