MassCap Set for June 18
Yesterday brought welcome news, a reminder that spring is coming and Massachusetts’ long horseless season is coming to an end: Suffolk Downs announced its 2005 stakes schedule. The $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap (Gr. II) will be run on June 18, along with the $200,000 James B. Moseley Breeders’ Cup. Last year’s MassCap was won by Offlee Wild, who’s running this weekend for the first time since that race in the Campbell at Laurel Park. No stakes are scheduled for the meet’s final two months, which has been the situation for the past couple of years, although in both 2004 and 2003, some money was found late in the meet to run a couple of stakes races for state-breds. Perhaps the same will happen this year. Suffolk’s barns open on March 16, and live racing begins on April 30. I can hardly wait.
