By Tim Bojarski, For The Standardbred Owners Of Massachusetts

Tom Melanson Photo

The track record for 3-year-old trotting geldings at Plainridge Park was rewritten on Thursday afternoon (May 16) after Spaaaanzano (Coraggioso-Grace N Charlie) put on a sparkling gate-to-wire performance to claim victory in the $100,000 Battle of Bunker Hill Trot.

North America’s leading dash driver, Aaron Merriman, sent Spaaaanzano to the front and seated the field in a :27.2 quarter. Once in control, Merriman slammed on the brakes with a :30.1 second panel and basically won the race there. Spaaaanzano then sped to the three-quarter pole in :27.4 as Show Me (Andy Miller), on the pegs, and French Kronos (Mattias Melander), in the breeze, chased closest from behind. Spaaaanzano circled the final turn and hit the stretch in full flight and then bolted to the line on top by 2-1/2 lengths, winning in 1:53.2.

The time, a new lifetime mark for Spaaaanzano, also replaced the old divisional track record of 1:53.3 set by Khaosan Road exactly one year ago in this race. The stakes record is 1:53, set by the colt Jonas K S in 2022.

It was the first win in only the second start of the year for Spaaaanzano ($4.80), and it pushed the 2023 Ohio Sires Stakes star’s lifetime earnings to $322,150. Spaaaanzano is owned by his trainer, Chris Beaver, in partnership with Spaaaartners, Bill Manes and Leo Fleming.