Wednesday Rosecroft card highlights fillies, mares and two drivers
Each week during the spring the Wednesday evening cards at Rosecroft Raceway will highlight the top pacing fillies and mares on the circuit and the last night of February offered the chance to two drivers to join the party.
Driver Frank Milby is no stranger to winning races at the Maryland five-eighths oval, boasting a handful of driving titles over the years. On Sunday evening Milby won five races, including the finale, then on Wednesday he picked up right where he left off and won the first four races on the card and added another one later.
"Right now it's about getting to drive horses that are ready," Milby said. "Sometimes coming back from the break they need a race or two. In the past, they often needed two races. But this year a lot of them just need one start. After winning the first four races, I thought the next one couldn't lose and that was the one that got beat."
Milby won the opener with Cajun Fiddle, a four-year-old Brandon's Cowboy mare trained by Joe Hundertpfund, Jr., then capped the early daily double by steering home Rocket Rosy in a conditioned event for pacing fillies and mares for trainer John Hollingsworth. Milby then completed a natural 'hat trick' by taking the next race with Youda Shark for trainer Eli Scott, Jr., then he steered trotting mare Spiffen Spiffie to a mild 2-1 upset in 1:59.1 for trainer Jonathan Nikodemski.
After getting beat with 1-5 choice Its Casual in a lifetime class for pacing fillies and mares, Milby returned to the winner's circle in the very next event after steering No Shadows to a wire-to-wire tally in 1:52.3 for owner-trainer Jeff Clark. After spending the winter at Dover Downs, No Shadows notched her first victory of the campaign on Wednesday.
While Milby garnered the spotlight with his five wins in the first eight races, catch-driver Richard Still emerged from the shadows to prevail in a pair of events for pacing fillies and mares.
In the fifth, Still ended Milby's bid for a perfect night when he steered I'm Done Talking to an 11-1 upset in a conditioned event. A four-year-old Well Said mare trained by Brittany Bounds and co-owned by Brittany and Michael Bounds, I'm Done Talking notched her first win in six starts this year after overhauling the odds-on Its Casual (Milby) in the lane to score in 1:55.1.
Then three races later on the card, Still guided Winter Games to a 6-1 upset in the featured $8500 Winners Over in 1:52.4. A four-year-old Bettor's Delight mare trained by Megan Roberts for owner and father, William "Bib" Roberts of Trapeze and Yankee Co-Ed fame, Winter Games rallied widest of all in the lane to overtake Hearts N Flowers (Milby) and Arts And Flowers (Roger Plante, Jr.) for her second straight win to start the meet.
Then one race later on the card in a conditioned event for trotters, Candy Stash (Milby) gained command soon after the start and led throughout to score in 1:57.1. A seven-year-old Chocolatier mare trained by Ken Schlotzhauer of Talbot Redneck fame for owner Thomas Cooke of Nuclear Breeze fame, Candy Stash recorded her first win in two starts this year and pushed her lifetime earnings past $142,000 while providing Milby with his sixth winner of the night.
One race later in a non-winners of $4500 last five starts class for older pacers, Redneck Fortune (Justin Vincent) benefited from a fast early tempo and rallied widest of all on the far turn and through the lane to score in 1:53.2. A nine-year-old Cams Fortune gelding trained by Luis Collazo for owner Howard Taylor, Redneck Fortune posted his first win in four starts this year and almost two years and equaled his lifetime mark in the process. He had been second in each of his last two starts, including a sold runner-up performance behind Capital Builder on opening night. Capital Builder, a free-legged sort trained by Roberts, came right back to win in 1:53.3 in his latest outing.
Then several races later in the penultimate race on the card, Sea's Ideal overcame post nine and a first over bid to post a 21-1 upset when she romped home 12 lengths clear in 1:53.2. A five-year-old American Ideal mare trained by Arlene Cameron for owner-driver John Wagner, Sea's Ideal notched her first win in three starts this year and did so in emphatic fashion to shatter her lifetime mark by three seconds and likely earn a berth in the top class for pacing distaffers next Wednesday.
Driver Frank Milby is no stranger to winning races at the Maryland five-eighths oval, boasting a handful of driving titles over the years. On Sunday evening Milby won five races, including the finale, then on Wednesday he picked up right where he left off and won the first four races on the card and added another one later.
"Right now it's about getting to drive horses that are ready," Milby said. "Sometimes coming back from the break they need a race or two. In the past, they often needed two races. But this year a lot of them just need one start. After winning the first four races, I thought the next one couldn't lose and that was the one that got beat."
Milby won the opener with Cajun Fiddle, a four-year-old Brandon's Cowboy mare trained by Joe Hundertpfund, Jr., then capped the early daily double by steering home Rocket Rosy in a conditioned event for pacing fillies and mares for trainer John Hollingsworth. Milby then completed a natural 'hat trick' by taking the next race with Youda Shark for trainer Eli Scott, Jr., then he steered trotting mare Spiffen Spiffie to a mild 2-1 upset in 1:59.1 for trainer Jonathan Nikodemski.
After getting beat with 1-5 choice Its Casual in a lifetime class for pacing fillies and mares, Milby returned to the winner's circle in the very next event after steering No Shadows to a wire-to-wire tally in 1:52.3 for owner-trainer Jeff Clark. After spending the winter at Dover Downs, No Shadows notched her first victory of the campaign on Wednesday.
While Milby garnered the spotlight with his five wins in the first eight races, catch-driver Richard Still emerged from the shadows to prevail in a pair of events for pacing fillies and mares.
In the fifth, Still ended Milby's bid for a perfect night when he steered I'm Done Talking to an 11-1 upset in a conditioned event. A four-year-old Well Said mare trained by Brittany Bounds and co-owned by Brittany and Michael Bounds, I'm Done Talking notched her first win in six starts this year after overhauling the odds-on Its Casual (Milby) in the lane to score in 1:55.1.
Then three races later on the card, Still guided Winter Games to a 6-1 upset in the featured $8500 Winners Over in 1:52.4. A four-year-old Bettor's Delight mare trained by Megan Roberts for owner and father, William "Bib" Roberts of Trapeze and Yankee Co-Ed fame, Winter Games rallied widest of all in the lane to overtake Hearts N Flowers (Milby) and Arts And Flowers (Roger Plante, Jr.) for her second straight win to start the meet.
Then one race later on the card in a conditioned event for trotters, Candy Stash (Milby) gained command soon after the start and led throughout to score in 1:57.1. A seven-year-old Chocolatier mare trained by Ken Schlotzhauer of Talbot Redneck fame for owner Thomas Cooke of Nuclear Breeze fame, Candy Stash recorded her first win in two starts this year and pushed her lifetime earnings past $142,000 while providing Milby with his sixth winner of the night.
One race later in a non-winners of $4500 last five starts class for older pacers, Redneck Fortune (Justin Vincent) benefited from a fast early tempo and rallied widest of all on the far turn and through the lane to score in 1:53.2. A nine-year-old Cams Fortune gelding trained by Luis Collazo for owner Howard Taylor, Redneck Fortune posted his first win in four starts this year and almost two years and equaled his lifetime mark in the process. He had been second in each of his last two starts, including a sold runner-up performance behind Capital Builder on opening night. Capital Builder, a free-legged sort trained by Roberts, came right back to win in 1:53.3 in his latest outing.
Then several races later in the penultimate race on the card, Sea's Ideal overcame post nine and a first over bid to post a 21-1 upset when she romped home 12 lengths clear in 1:53.2. A five-year-old American Ideal mare trained by Arlene Cameron for owner-driver John Wagner, Sea's Ideal notched her first win in three starts this year and did so in emphatic fashion to shatter her lifetime mark by three seconds and likely earn a berth in the top class for pacing distaffers next Wednesday.
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