After securing a remarkable victory in the 2023 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot, where Its Academic powered from the half to the finish line, he is set to make his return to Plainridge Park on Sunday, July 21. The goal is to defend his title in this year's USD 250,000 trotting classic, facing a field of nine competitors.
Trained by U.S. Hall of Famer Ron Burke, Its Academic will be accompanied by stablemate Chapercraz, who recently triumphed in the $582,192 Hambletonian Maturity at The Meadowlands. Its Academic had a stellar 2023 season, earning eight wins and $984,294 in prize money, leading to him being named Ohio's Aged Trotter of the Year. After a winter break, Its Academic made a solid return at The Meadowlands, finishing fourth in the Crawford Farms Trot on June 29.
Burke expressed confidence in Its Academic's readiness, attributing his previous race as a good warm-up for the upcoming event. Chapercraz, on the other hand, has been performing well, winning the Hambo Maturity last week. Burke highlighted Chapercraz's versatility and potential as a top older trotter in the coming years.
Both Its Academic and Chapercraz will have their regular drivers for Sunday's race. Another horse from the Burke stable, Beach Cowgirl, will compete in the USD 100,000 Clara Barton Distaff Pace.
The high-octane Spirit of Massachusetts card will also feature several other races, offering a total of USD 607,000 in prizes. The Clara Barton race will take place at 4 p.m., followed by the Spirit of Massachusetts Trot at 4:40 p.m. The fields for each race are detailed below.
Overall, the day promises to be an exciting showcase of top-tier talent in the world of harness racing.