Tuesday May 19 Recap

May 19, 2026

This afternoon offered a pair of $9,000 Open Pace events. The first heat attracted a full field of eight, Rusty Beach and Tommy Merton from the rail had to work hard to make the front at the first quarter in 27.1and it didn’t get any easier, from the half 56.3 on he had to fight off the pesky Hurrikane Jonnyboy and Jim Taggart looming on the outside in 1:25. In the paddock turn, Betthebeach Yankee and Bruce Aldrich Jr. who had been sitting fourth along the rail was in high gear and Rusty Beach had to repel yet another contender, it took every inch of racetrack but Betthebeach Yankee got past the game Rusty Beach in the final strides in 1:55.1 – $13.88 Buy In (G. Merton) finished third, the winner is trained by Greg Decker Jr.

In the second Open, the Lisa Martin trained Feeling Western (R. Cushing) grabbed the early lead from Cyrus N and then played catch me if you can, scoring in 1:54.3 -$3.50

Jim Taggart Jr. took both end of the early Daily Double (3-1) with Great Bet 1:55.2 – $2.72 & KJ Becky 1:57 – $10.12. Tin Cup Chalice went wire to wire in 1:54.2 – $2.12 for Mike Merton and Jared Bako. Bad Boy Too (R. Cushing) scored a 4-length win in 1:55.3 – $31.54 for trainer McKenzie Sowers.

A Harness Racing oddity occurred this afternoon. We have all looked at programs where we see horses that are long shots by a mile and it looks like they have no chance, well Lil Red Rocknhood and Adam Moeykens and Cedric Washington proved them all wrong. Sent off at odds of 112-1, the six-year-old mare who was last at the half got underway down the backside and slowly and steadily advanced on the pack to get up on the outside over Bluebird Crush and Jim Taggart Jr. in 1:58.1. In the following race, the 34-1 Its Always Sumthin pulled another shocker from the 8 hole for Shane Taggart, returning $70.86 – 2:00.4 to his faithful.

Ron Cushing led all drivers with a double.