Spirit of Massachusetts Trot draws full field of nine

The field for the $250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot, which will be held at Plainridge Park on Sunday (July 23), has attracted nine top Open trotters — eight males and one mare. The biggest race of the year in Massachusetts has been carded as the ninth race on an 11-race card.

Hall of Fame trainer Ron Burke brings a lethal one-two punch to the Bay State in the $1.5 million earner It’s Academic along with stablemate Hillexotic. Plainridge regular and Massachusetts-bred Marquis Lafayette was awarded with an “at-large” entry, determined by the Harness Horseman’s Association of New England, the Hambletonian Society and Plainridge Park.

$250,000 Spirit of Massachusetts Trot

1. Kildare King (driver TBA, Christopher Beaver)
2. Rattle My Cage (Åke Svanstedt, Åke Svanstedt)
3. Marquis Lafayette (Bruce Ranger, Domenico Cecere)
4. Hillexotic (Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke)
5. Herculisa (Austin Siegleman, Matty Medeiros)
6. Balenciaga (Mark MacDonald, Paul Kelley)
7. Delayed Hanover (Andy Miller, Kevin McDermott)
8. Asteroid (Dexter Dunn, Åke Svanstedt)
9. It’s Academic (David Miller, Ron Burke)