Every Man's Dream Sets New Massachusetts Stake Record

The 2024 Massachusetts Breeders Stake kicked off on Monday, September 23, at Plainridge Park with $305,000 in purses up for grabs as 3-year-olds of both sexes and gaits competed. Defending champions from last year, including Every Man’s Dream (Always B Miki), Keep Asking (Chapter Seven), and Rocknroll Lou (Sweet Lou), all began their campaigns for back-to-back titles.

Standout performances came from drivers Yannick Gingras and Scott Zeron, along with trainers Ron Burke and George Ducharme, each scoring two wins in the stakes events.

In the first of two $40,000 pacing filly divisions, Every Man’s Dream set a new stake record in a dominant victory. Driven by Yannick Gingras, she took the lead after the half and pulled away, winning by 11 lengths and setting a new record with a time of 1:52.1. Owned by Thomas and Scott Dillon and trained by Ron Burke, this was Every Man’s Dream’s second consecutive win of the season.

The second filly pacing division saw favourite Color Me Sweet (So Surreal) lead wire-to-wire, securing her fourth straight win in 1:56.1. Owned and trained by Alicia Gray, she beat Going My Way by 2 1⁄2 lengths.

In the $75,000 division for trotting colts and geldings, Keep Asking, driven by Scott Zeron, held off a challenge from Intl Blockade to win by 1 1⁄4 lengths in 1:54.2. With this victory, Keep Asking surpassed $500,000 in career earnings for owners WJ Donovan, Joe Sbrocco, Jim Winske, and George Ducharme, who also trains the colt.

The $75,000 trotting fillies’ event went to International Gift, who secured her second consecutive win at Plainridge with a time of 1:55.4. Scott Zeron guided her to victory for trainer-owner George Ducharme, in partnership with Winter’s Racing and Nicola Oliva.

In the final $75,000 pacing colts and geldings division, Rocknroll Lou claimed his first win of the year, cruising to victory in 1:52.4. Owned by Thomas and Scott Dillon and trained by Ron Burke, Rocknroll Lou prevailed by two lengths to cap off an exciting day of stakes racing.

Racing at Plainridge Park resumes on Tuesday, September 24, featuring the first legs of the 2-year-old divisions of the 2024 Massachusetts Breeders Stake.