Page 5 - Ron Cushing News Today

The battle for the First Tracks Cumberland driving championship just got a little closer as Bruce Ranger took the $5,000 feature, a Open II-III Trot, with Broadway Giant on Tuesday (Nov. 30).

Overlooked by the betting faithful as he made his first start back from a seven month layoff, Rock Candy scored a sweet victory at 30-1 in the $25,000 Winners-Over pacing feature at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon.

The Bird Dance N has acclimated well since landing in North America earlier this year and he added another win to his already impressive stats after a strong performance in the top $25,000 Open pace at Plainridge Park on Thursday afternoon.

Two $9,690 divisions of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes (MSBS) for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings highlight the Wednesday (July 28) card at Cumberland, which hosts a full card of 12 races — six of which are complete eight-horse fields, including three events with 20-cent superfectas. First Tracks Cumberland also welcomes the Varney Insurance Company as part of their corporate sponsorship Day at the Track events. The first MSBS $9,690 division marks the return of the freshmen to...

Thursday was the first day of Spirit of Massachusetts week at Plainridge Park and enhanced purses were in effect for all races leading up to the $250,000 Spirit trot on Sunday (July 25). That made the days featured condition pace worth $18,000 and it took a career best effort from Level Up to snare the winner’s share of the money. Level Up (Shawn Gray) grabbed an easy lead from post two and made his way to the :27 quarter unmolested. Bettor In Cash (Drew Monti) had also left from post eight a...

Mansome made a bold uncovered move in the last half of the mile to overpower a field of top pacers and win the $20,000 winners-vver feature race at Plainridge Park on Monday afternoon. Rock Diamonds N (Ron Cushing) led to the quarter where Lake Charles (Shawn Gray) pulled and brushed to the front. Positions remained unchanged until the five-eighths where Mansome (Kevin Switzer, Jr.) pulled first-over on the attack. The two horses paced in tandem around the far turn and to the top of the lane wh...

Three divisions of Winners-Over pacers went postward at Plainridge Park on Monday and despite an off-track due to early day rain, all three winners turned in impressive miles. The top division went for $20,000 and Artful Way (Bruce Ranger) put a circle around the competition. Ranger hustled Artful Way to the front and with no resistance, put the field to sleep with a pedestrian half of :57. The pace picked up when Stihl N (Matty Athearn) came first over to challenge but Artful Way had things un...

A pair of $15,000 conditioned events for six-year-old and under pacers topped the bill at Plainridge Park on Thursday and both victors were no strangers to the winner’s circle. In the male division, General Ward (Jim Hardy) took a quick lead off the gate and would not relinquish it the rest of the way. With Touch Of Character (Steve Wilson) parked outside, General Ward got to the quarter in a brisk :26.2 and the half in :54.1. Moving past the five-eighths General Ward turned back that challen...

Twenty top resident pacers of Plainridge Park were divided into three tiers of Winners-Over events that ranged in purse from $15,000 to $20,000 on Monday afternoon and the high-calibre card provided non-stop excitement for the large holiday crowd that was on hand to watch and wager. In the featured $20,000 race, Stihl N got back to his winning ways in a come-from-behind upset victory. Major Leaguer (Nick Graffam) took control of the race and led a single-file field to the half in a tepid :56.4....

There were two $15,000 feature races for six-year-old and younger pacers on Thursday afternoon at Plainridge Park -- one for fillies and mares and one for horses and geldings -- and both events were won by horses driven by Kevin Switzer, Jr. who steered those winners to a stellar performances despite a steady day-long rain. The girls hit the track first and Chasethecloudsaway turned in a career-best effort. Leaving from post four, Switzer fired off the gate with Chasethecloudsaway and dictated...