Sweet Jeff Ir takes a new lifetime mark

Plainville, MA — Last year, Sweet Jeff Ir (Sweet Lou) won eight races and over $100,000 in purses. So far this year, the 5-year-old gelding has been held winless – until today, when he went the mile of his life in the featured $15,000 Starter Allowance pace at Plainridge Park on Friday (May 30) afternoon.

Sweet Jeff Ir (Nick Graffam) exerted his will off the gate and went right to the lead while posting a sharp :26 first quarter. After the race reached the half in :55.2, No Laughing Stock (Mitchell Cushing) made a first-over bid and pushed Sweet Jeff Ir in the :27.1 third panel.  Sweet Jeff Ir responded in the turn and opened up a two length gap at the top of the stretch. But the race was not over as No Laughing Stock came back on again to challenge, but came up one-half length short as Sweet Jeff Ir tripped the timer in 1:51.1 to take a new lifetime mark.

SWEET JEFF IR REPLAY

Sweet Jeff Ir ($3.00) is owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi and trained by Joe Nelson.

Driver Mitchell Cushing had a big day at the lines Friday as he scored a grand slam in the bike. Cushing won with Second Bruiser (1:51, $5.00) and Cool Your Heels (1:53.4, $7.20) who were both schooled by the day’s leading trainer Julia Eaton, along with CBF Fin (1:56, $5.80) and Longview Lad N (1:53.2, $5.20).

Live racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Monday (June 2) at 4 p.m. and there will be a $2,327 carryover in the sixth race Wicked Hi-5 pentafecta.

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 results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Tim Bojarski, for the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts