Ben Franklin Free-For-All Pace Explained

Horse Race:Ben Franklin Free-For-All Pace
Location:Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA
Inaugurated:2007
Race Type:Harness race for Standardbred pacers
Website:Mohegan Sun Pocono racing
Distance:1 mile
(1609 metres or 8 furlongs)
Surface:Dirt, 5/8 mile oval
Qualification:4yo & up
Purse:$500,000 (2016)

The Ben Franklin Free-For-All Pace is harness racing stakes race for older Standardbred pacers run annually since 2007 at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.[1]

Historical race events

Boulder Creek set a new track record time of 1:48 3/5 in winning the 2007 inaugural race.[2]

Sweet Lou, the 2011 winner of the Dan Patch Award for Two-Year-Old Male Pacer, won the 2013 Ben Franklin FFA Pace in which he set a new track and World Record for a 5/8 mile track with a time of 1:47 flat.[3]

In 2016, Always B Miki equaled Sweet Lou's World Record time in winning the June 25, 2016 Ben Franklin FFA Pace elimination race. He came back to win the July 2 final in exactly the same World Record time.[4]

Records

Most wins by a driver:
Most wins by a trainer:
Stakes record:

Ben Franklin Free-For-All Pace winners

Year
Winner
Age
Driver
Trainer
Owner
Time
Purse
2016Always B Miki5David MillerJimmy TakterBluewood Stable, Roll The Dice Stable, Christina E. Takter1:47 0/0$500,000
2015Luck Be Withyou4George Napolitano, Jr.Chris OakesJohn Craig1:49 0/0$500,000
2014Sweet Lou5Ron PierceRon BurkeBurke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Lawrence Karr, Phillip Collura1:47 0/0$500,000
2013Foiled Again9Yannick GingrasRon BurkeBurke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Lawrence Karr, Phillip Collura1:49 2/5$500,000
2012Betterthancheddar4Casie ColemanSteve Calhoun & West Wins Stable1:48 0/0$500,000
2011We Will See4Ron PierceSam DePintoShannon DePinto, Earl Smith, Jerry Silva1:48 4/5$500,000
2010Vintage Master4Tim TetrickJimmy TakterBrittany Farms & Brian Monieson Trust1:49 0/0$500,000
2009Mister Big6Brian SearsVirgil Morgan, Jr.Joseph Muscara, Sr.1:48 0/0$500,000
2008Artistic Fella5Tim TetrickSteve ElliottJoseph Alborano1:48 0/0$500,000
2007Boulder Creek7Tim TetrickMark SilvaClifford Siegel, Lee Wasserman, John Fodera 1:48 3/5$300,000

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20170101232058/https://xwebapp.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/templates/article.aspx?articleid=22610 USTA Harness Racing Newsroom July 20, 2007 article titled "Field set for Ben Franklin Pace"
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20170101232126/https://xwebapp.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/templates/article.aspx?articleid=22654 USTA July 22, 2007 article titled Boulder Creek nips Lis Mara in Ben Franklin
  3. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56fdea2e4d088ed3e96fc9e5/t/57b3ae473e00bede00409d35/1471393373878/SweetLou_brochure_website.pdf 2016 Woodlands Stud profile of Sweet Lou
  4. https://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/7-2-16/pure-country-kicks-sun-stakes.html Standardbred Canada July 2, 2016 article titled Always Be Miki Equals World Record