While the first four months of the season offered live racing every Tuesday and Thursday evening, Rosecroft Raceway capped its busy winter-spring meet by hosting a pair of Saturday night cards corresponding with two of racing’s biggest days in May.
On the closing night card, Rosecroft honored its top equine and human participants alike. Johnathan Ahle captured his first driving title and any oval, trainer John Wagner was the leading conditioner and Lloyd’s Loves, claimed for $24,000 midway through the meet, was named the top pacer after winning the Filly-Mare Open three straight weeks then taking the $26,000 Maryland Sire Stakes for 4- and 5-year-old pacers for trainer Mike Hall and co-owners William “Mac” MacMillan and Chris Devine.
“It really means a lot to me,” Ahle said of his first driving title. “I had never won a driving title anywhere before this.”
In the featured $12,000 Maryland Open, Business Director (Russell Foster) delivered a superb performance when he gained command soon after the start, got a breather to the half in 57 flat then drew clear in the lane and much the best in 1:51.2. A five-year-old Art Director gelding owned and trained by Arty Foster, Jr., Business Director notched his fourth win in 15 seasonal outings and now owns 17 wins and $145,000 banked from 69 career tries.
“He’s been good the whole meet,” Foster said. “He’s usually a little better racing from behind, but he can leave a little bit.”
Much earlier on the card in the $10,000 Junior Open, Island Of The Sea (Russell Foster) lived up to his role as the 2-5 favorite when he brushed to command before the opener, set honest fractions to the first three calls then rebuffed the late inside bid of Transparency for a neck victory in 1:50.4.
“He’s got so much back class,” Foster said. “He’s really tough tough to beat when he races here.”
A seven-year-old Always A Virgin gelding owned and trained by Eric Ell, Island Of The Sea notched his first win in 12 seasonal outings and now owns 36 wins and over $455,000 banked from 129 career outings. Island Of The Sea was among the dominant forces over the oval last fall, but he has spent much of the current campaign competing at Dover Downs and Harrah’s Philadelphia.
Four nights earlier Rosecroft offered a quartet of $87,500 Maryland Sire Stakes finals for three-year-olds of both gaits and genders, three of which were genuinely formful while the fourth produced an upset.
In the last of the quartet, Fancy Like That (Johnathan Ahle) easily lived up to her billing as the 1-5 favorite in the MDSS final for three-year-old filly pacers when she gained command soon after the start, carved out modest fractions on a clear lead then held safe the late bid of Yourgracefoundme for a two-length score.
A sophomore daughter of Rusty’s For Real trained by Kasey Bendix and owned and bred by Bendix and Virginia Marvel, Fancy Like That notched her fourth win in eight seasonal outings and now owns 11 wins and $135,000 banked from 19 career outings after stopping the timer in 1:53.3. Fancy Like That was the dominant freshman pacing filly last fall and maintained that status last week.
One race earlier, Tony Babe (Jonathan Roberts) forged a 12-1 upset in the MDSS final for three-year-old colt pacers when he gained command soon after the start and led throughout to a three-length score. A sophomore son of Rusty’s For Real owned, bred and trained by Ronald Short, Tony Babe notched his second win from seven seasonal outings and 14 overall.
Then one race earlier, Geralds A Keeper (Trae Porter) just lived up to his role as the even-money choice in the MDSS final for three-year-old trotting colts & geldings when he rebuffed a bid from stablemate K J Dash (Victor Kirby) down the backside and held sway late for a length score. A sophomore son of Lockkeeper trained by John Wagner, Geralds A Keeper notched his third win from four seasonal outings following a winless freshman campaign.
One race earlier in a non-betting event that was comprised of only three participants, Only I Exist (Russell Foster) continued her dominance of her gait and gender when she cruised to a three-length score in 2:00 in the MDSS final for three-year-old filly trotters. A sophomore daughter of Yall Beneath Me owned, bred and trained by Richard Hans, Only I Exist remained perfect in three seasonal tries and now owns nine wins and $185,000 banked from 10 career outings.
With Rosecroft idle, live harness racing in Maryland shifts to Ocean Downs, a half-mile oval in Berlin, five miles west of Ocean City, that will offer racing for 44 nights May 26-Sep. 5. Live racing will return to Rosecroft this fall and the track is slated to host events two nights each week, Monday and Wednesday, through mid-December. The ninth edition of the $125,000 Potomac Pace Invitational has been set for Sunday, Nov. 17.
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