FORT WASHINGTON, Md. — Eric Foster’s homebred College Tuition proved resolute under pressure in scoring his third consecutive win in Thursday’s (May 7) $12,000 Open Handicap Trot at Rosecroft Raceway, parrying a stout two-pronged stretch challenge to narrowly prevail in 1:54.4.
Russell Foster left hard from post 7 with College Tuition, and the 8-year-old Donato Hanover-Stirling Charisma gelding cleared Inferno DK (driven by Roger Plante Jr.) and Deadline Hall (Jonathan Roberts) upon entering the first turn. The pair traveled unopposed through splits of :27.1, :57.1 and 1:25.4 before 7-5 favorite Deadline Hall emerged out of third to take aim at College Tuition through the final turn. Despite Deadline Hall’s steady outside advance and a similar inside push from Inferno DK in the stretch, College Tuition dug in to keep both rivals at bay and win by a diminishing head.
Deadline Hall finished second; Inferno DK was third.
Courtney Foster trains 31-time winner College Tuition, who paid $7.60 to win as the 5-2 third choice.
Twice As Nice for Kiel
MacKenzie Kiel scored a training and driving double, capturing two of the three $5,000 Mid-Atlantic Drivers Club events on the card. Kiel first rallied Captain Terminator ($8.80) off second-over cover to a 1-1/4-length, 1:56.2 win over Legal Power before guiding Don’t Freak Out ($4.60) through a lengthy first-over grind to defeat Righthererightnow by a head in 1:59.
It Pays to Play the Pick-4
The Late Pick-4 returned $1,580.50 after Caribbean Sam-Nin and driver Trae Porter sprang a 59-1 upset in the 11th race. Every program at Rosecroft features a pair of Pick-4s, both with a 50-cent base wager and a low 15% takeout.
News and Notes
In addition to Kiel’s double-double on the 13-race program, Foster, Porter, Corey Braden and Jonathan Roberts all scored driving doubles while Dylan George and Thomas Lord harnessed two winners apiece. … Live racing at Rosecroft resumes Saturday (May 9) with an 11-race card and a $497.13 carryover in the 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5, offered in the finale. First post is 7:15 p.m. (EDT).
