FORT WASHINGTON, Md. — After five consecutive runner-up finishes, Eric Foster’s homebred College Tuition made every call a winning one in Wednesday’s (April 9) $12,000 Open Handicap Trot at Rosecroft Raceway, evading living legend JL Cruze by 6-3/4 lengths in a dominant pillar-to-post score.
 
In line to Johnathan Ahle and sent off the 7-5 second choice, College Tuition sprinted clear of JL Cruze (driven by Russell Foster) on the first turn and reeled off splits of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:24.2 before steadily widening his advantage through the stretch on his way to a seasonal-best 1:54.1 score. JL Cruze easily won the race for second over Spy Booth (Jonathan Roberts), who gave futile chase to the top trio throughout the mile.
 
Courtney Foster trains 21-time winner College Tuition, a 7-year-old Donato Hanover-Stirling Charisma gelding who paid $4.80 to win.
 
The co-featured $10,500 winners-over pace for fillies and mares saw Square Deal and driver Jonathan Roberts make easy work of eight rivals in her 5-year-old debut, using a powerful sixth-to-first middle move to take control from even-money choice Phoenix Rising (Frank Milby) before a :55.3 half and then throwing down another :55.3 half to defeat the late-rallying Awesome Hill (Foster) by two lengths in a lifetime best 1:51.1. Phoenix Rising was third.
 
Willard Reynolds trains Square Deal, a Heston Blue Chip-Fourbyfour Hanover mare with 15 wins to her credit, for Mark Howard. She paid $8.00 to win as the 3-1 second choice.
 
Live racing returns to Rosecroft Raceway on Monday (April 14); the card will feature a $12,307.01 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5, offered in race 10. First post is 7:15 p.m. (EDT).
