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Welcome to your latest Rosecroft Raceway update! Although severe East Coast weather forced us to postpone our typical Monday night card to Wednesday, the wait was well worth it. This past week of racing brought some incredible performances to the track, including a massive four-win night for a veteran Maryland horseman, dominant showings by our heavy hitters, and a wire-to-wire Monday night victory.

Here is your wrap-up of the week’s best action and a look ahead to Thursday’s massive Jackpot Hi-5 carryover.

🏆 Wednesday Highlights: Nock Closes in on 500 & ‘Starr’ Shines

Wednesday’s 13-race weather make-up card was entirely ruled by 81-year-old Willards, Md. resident Jerry Nock. Nock enjoyed a spectacular evening, harnessing four winners from his stable:

  • Driver Lucas Myers led all reinsmen with a hat trick, steering Nock’s Cash Bet Hanover (1:55.3), Shakas Pride (1:53.2), and Luckatthebeach (1:52.4) to the winner’s circle.
  • Justin Vincent capped off Nock’s grand slam by driving Everything B Cool to a 1:53.4 victory.
  • Milestone Watch: Nock now sits at an impressive 496 career training wins!

In the featured $12,000 Open Handicap Pace, Lou’s Starr (driven by Corey Braden) put on a show. After completing an early give-and-go with even-money favorite Spring Blake, Lou’s Starr kept the favorite a half-length at bay to score a seasonal-best 1:51.4 victory for trainer Scott Warnick and owner Daniel Chansky.

🔥 Thursday Highlights: Plante Jr. & Hall Dominate the Features

Thursday night belonged to the heavy hitters, with driver/trainer Roger Plante Jr. and trainer Michael Hall capturing the lion’s share of the evening’s headlines.

  • Pacing Feature: The standout mare Oh Ophelia proved she was the class of the field in the top event for filly and mare pacers. Driven, trained, and owned by Plante Jr., she stopped the clock in a sharp 1:54.0, holding off gritty late challenges from Betty’s Rockin and Wise Professor to win by a mere fifth of a second.
  • Trotting Feature: Craft Made found the winner’s circle in 1:56.2. Driven by Plante Jr., trained by Hall, and owned right here in Maryland by William and Sarah MacMillan, Craft Made bested R Hot Toddy and Whoodle Hanover.

Leaderboard Check: Roger Plante Jr. led the driving colony with a triple, followed closely by Jonathan Roberts with a double. On the conditioning side, Michael Hall notched three training wins, while Brittany Bounds kept up her strong form with a training double.

🐎 Monday, March 2 Highlights: Spring Blake Goes Wire-to-Wire

Monday’s $12,000 Open Handicap Pace saw Spring Blake make every pole a winning one, scoring his third victory of the season and capping off a training hat trick for Johnny Crites Jr.

Sent off as the 1-5 favorite and driven by Russell Foster, the 5-year-old ridgling briefly yielded control to Layton Hanover before quickly retaking the top with a circuit to go. Spring Blake rolled through middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.2, ultimately turning aside a late bid from 49-1 outsider Horse to win by a measured 2 lengths in 1:52.3. Layton Hanover narrowly saved second.

Monday Notes:

  • Training Leader: Johnny Crites Jr., who currently leads the Rosecroft training table with 14 wins, owned and trained Spring Blake. His other two wins on the 13-race program came with Velocity Gator and Ayr Corleon GB.
  • Driver of the Night: Russell Foster led all drivers on the Monday card with four impressive wins.

Spring Blake (driven by Russell Foster) winning the $12,000 Open Handicap Race by two lengths for trainer Johnny Crites, Jr. 

📅 Looking Ahead: Thursday, March 5

Live harness racing returns to Rosecroft this Thursday, March 5, and the wagering value is through the roof!

  • First Post: 7:15 p.m. (EST)
  • The Card: 13 action-packed races
  • Jackpot Hi-5: The pool continues to grow, and we are rolling into Thursday with a massive $27,715.71 carryover offered in the final race!
  • Handicapping Help: Download your free past performance pages and the official Handicapping Tip-Sheet at rosecroft.com/free-program-tip-sheet.

See you at the track!