Beckwith Reaches 2,000-Win Milestone | Standardbred Canada standardbredcanada.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standardbredcanada.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Plainridge Park’s trainer of the year in 2020 wasted no time flexing her muscle on the opening day of the track’s 2021 meet.
Melissa Beckwith sent newly acquired Keystone Dakota to post in the $15,000 conditioned pacing feature for five-year-olds and under and the son of Art Major-Keystone Dawn responded with a win and a new lifetime mark in his first start at Plainridge.
Despite drawing post eight in the full field of starters, driver Bruce Ranger sent Keystone Dakota right to the front and never looked back after clearing. With Wyatt J (Ron Cushing) sitting on his back, Keystone Dakota snapped off quarters of :26.4, :55.1 and 1:23.2 before rounding the last bend to head down the lane. It was there Cushing pulled the right line on Wyatt J and got the big horse in gear, trying to chase down the leader. Although Wyatt J was able to make up some of the deficit in deep stretch, Keystone Dakota was just too much on this day and cruised home in :28.3 and stopped the timer in 1:52, w