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The second week of the 2026 meet at Plainridge Park delivered standout harness racing performances, dominant drives, and a pair of notable longshot upsets across three competitive race cards. Monday (April 20) For the second consecutive week, For Once Inmy Life (Bruce Ranger) went coast-to-coast to capture the $25,000 Open Handicap Pace in impressive fashion. […]
Plainville, MA — Torrid Saint A (Shadow Play) went the mile of his life at odds of 20-1 as he wired the field in the $25,000 Open Handicap pacing harness racing feature at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (Aug. 27) afternoon. Matty Athearn wasted no time getting the lead with Torrid Saint A and settled on […]
Plainville, MA — Swedish Starlet N (Mach Three) scored her 10th harness racing win of 2024 after going gate to wire in the $25,000 Open Handicap pace for fillies and mares at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 6). Handicapped from post nine, Swedish Starlet N left hard for Matty Athearn and grabbed the front, […]
Plainville, MA — Two weeks ago, on Sunday (July 21), Torrid Saint A (Shadow Play) finished third to Big Skewy N in the $75,000 Bert Beckwith Memorial at Plainridge Park in 1:49.1. Torrid Saint A made his next start on Monday (Aug. 5) and went the mile of his harness racing life, winning the $25,000 […]
Plainville, MA — Benefitting from a perfect trip, Big Al M (Anders Bluestone) brushed late to victory in the $20,000 Open Handicap Trot harness racing feature at Plainridge Park on Thursday (July 11) afternoon. Remember Titans (Brett Beckwith) grabbed the early lead before Delayed Hanover (Jay Randall) took over the top at the :27.3 quarter. […]
Plainville, MA — Harness racing’s newest $10 million dollar man, driver Matty Athearn, kept his momentum going on Thursday (July 4) afternoon at Plainridge Park as he scored a hat trick at the lines, including wins in both featured trots. In the $17,000 upper-level conditioned trot, Atheran sent Big Al M (Anders Bluestone) to the […]
Plainville, MA — When harness racing driver Matty Athearn finished third with I’m A Clown in the 11th race at Plainridge Park on Tuesday (July 2) afternoon, he surpassed the $10 million plateau in career earnings, with his current bankroll at $10,000,446 on the strength of 1,126 career wins. Known as “Matty Ice” for his […]
Young harness racing reinsman Matty Athearn enjoyed his best day of the season on Monday (April 1) at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 25-year-old pilot, who last year was named the Johnny Page Award winner for up-and-coming drivers at the Spa, scored a driver’s grand slam on Monday’s matinee card. His four-bagger was highlighted by a […]
Despite the rainy weather, Ahi Sunshine (Sunshine Beach-Racey Miss) was still a shining star on the Saturday (March 2) evening harness racing card at Saratoga Casino Hotel, winning the $15,000 Winners Over/Open Handicap Pace from the pocket trip. Matty Athearn and the Jackie Greene student left from the rail in the featured pace, settling into […]
Harness racing driver Matthew Athearn makes most of his driving appearances at Saratoga and Plainridge Park. However, last weekend the 25-year-old from Maine made an appearance at Freehold Raceway. He made his presence known when he steered Brickyard King (Yankee Glide) to victory and placed second with Uncontrolled. One week later, on Friday (Dec. 15) […]
Plainville, MA — After winning the first race at Plainridge Park on Friday (Nov. 24) with Woman In Gold N (Art Major, 1:56.2, $6.20), Matty “Ice” Athearn surpassed the $2 million mark in harness racing driver earnings for the current meet. Athearn is the second driver this year to reach $2 million and joins Bruce […]
Plainville, MA — Normally leaving the gate fast to cut the mile, Torrid Saint A (Shadow Play) raced from off the pace on Thursday (Oct. 26) at Plainridge Park and scored the best win of his harness racing career in the $22,000 upper-level conditioned pace. Torrid Saint A (Matty Athearn) got away sixth while Greatest […]
Plainville, MA — Harness racing driver Matty “Ice” Athearn and trainer Jimmy Nickerson each had a big day at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon (Aug. 17) as they combined for a grand slam during the harness racing card, including wins in the top two feature events. The four wins were consecutive for Nickerson’s trainees as […]
Plainville, MA — A pair of $15,000 conditioned paces separated by gender were contested as the marquee races at Plainridge Park on Monday (July 4) and both harness racing events produced performances worthy of fireworks over a track rated as wet-fast. In the first split, a field of fillies and mares lined up and saw […]
Plainville, MA — Coming off a lifetime best effort of 1:50.3 last week, Dandy’s Evrlasting (Well Said) bounced right back and won again in decisive fashion in the $25,000 harness racing featured Winners-Over pace for fillies and mares at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon (June 29). Matty Athearn sent Dandy’s Evrlasting to the front and […]
Plainville, MA — After tripping out early, Dandy’s Everlasting (Well Said) with driver Matty Athearn brushed late and finished strong to capture the $25,000 fillies and mares Winners-Over harness racing pacing feature at Plainridge Park on Tuesday afternoon (May 16). Westbeach (Nick Graffam) was the early leader before Booraa N (Ron Cushing) pulled before the […]
Plainville, MA — The harness racing trotters took center stage at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon (May 8) with three solid races producing impressive finishes. The premier class was the $25,000 Winners-Over class where Big Al M (Anders Bluestone, Matty Athearn) led all the way. After setting fractional times of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:26, Big […]
Plainville, MA — After changing owners, trainer and driver, and not having raced in four weeks, Icanflylikeanangel (Archangel-Fox Valley London) flaunted his class and made easy work of a full field of eight harness racing entrants in the $25,000 Winners-Over trotting feature at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon (April 24). Driver Drew Monti sent Icanflylikeanangel […]
To go last-to-first in a race is a daunting task on a half mile track for any horse. To do it against a top-flight field of Open harness racing horses is even more of a tall order. Last Sunday (March 5), Big Box Hanover (Uncle Peter) did just that when he swooped the group to […]
Rocknroll Runa A (Rock N Roll Heaven) came up just short in his debut in the local Open Pace on opening harness racing weekend at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Fast forward two weeks to Saturday night and the Larry Stalbaum trainee drew the rail for his second try in the $17,000 feature. Young reinsman Matt Athearn […]
CUMBERLAND, ME –Legendary New England horseman Donni Reichards had plenty to be thankful for this weekend, as his stable star Ry’s Red Rocket (Sunshine Beach) picked up her eighth win of the harness racing season on Saturday (Nov. 26) at Cumberland. Driven to victory by Matty ‘Ice’ Athearn, the 5-year-old mare had all the boys […]
CUMBERLAND, ME – Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, First Tracks Cumberland’s weekly Winter Festival schedule excluded ‘Black Friday’ (Nov. 26) and restarts on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 27 & 28) with two, full-card harness racing dates. Saturday’s (Nov. 26) program has ten races, with the featured $6,000 Open 3-4 Pace headlined by Ry’s Red Rocket […]
CUMBERLAND, ME – Harness racing driver Matt Athearn guided Manhattan Express (Bettor’s Delight) to a head victory in Friday’s (Nov. 11) $4,600 feature at First Tracks Cumberland in 1:57.3, the fastest mile of the day. Scoring from post five, Athearn got away sixth with the 7-year-old, while several self-assured reinsmen fought for the lead. The first […]
CUMBERLAND, ME – Matty “Ice” Athearn gave Warrawee Preferred (Federal Flex) another gutsy drive on Friday (May 27) to win the $6,000 Open II Trot and move to top of the tough Cumberland harness racing drivers colony. Scoring from the outside post five, Athearn left alertly with the 11-year-old gelding, only to be thwarted by […]
