FORT WASHINGTON, Md. — Spy Booth took advantage of a close seat behind quick early fractions before lifting to a 7-1 upset in Wednesday’s (April 2) $12,000 Open Handicap Trot at Rosecroft Raceway and capping a grand slam for driver Jonathan Roberts.
 
(foreground) rallied to a 7-1 upset in Wednesday’s Open Handicap Trot at Rosecroft Raceway, giving Jonathan Roberts one of his four driving wins on the 13-race card. (courtesy Erik Jones/Room 9 Photography)
 
Spy Booth pushed forward to secure a three-hole ride behind a :27.1 first-quarter duel between JL Cruze (driven by Russell Foster) and College Tuition (Johnathan Ahle) before contently stalking the joint even-money favorites through middle splits of :56 and 1:24.4. Roberts angled Spy Booth off the pegs a quarter from home, and the 7-year-old Muscle Hill-Amour Heiress gelding began to advance immediately, collaring JL Cruze with a sixteenth to go and staving off an inside challenge from runner-up College Tuition by a scant head in 1:53.4. JL Cruze finished third, beaten 2-1/4 lengths.
 
Jamie Vance trains Spy Booth, a 13-time winner who paid $17.40 to win, for Joseph Riad.
 
Roberts also won with Peeler (1:53, $2.80) and Bizet (1:57, $4.80) for his father, trainer William ‘Bib’ Roberts, and with Half A Virgin (1:55.2, $2.80) for trainer Brian Burton.
 
The co-featured $10,500 winners-over distaff pace saw Michael Somerville’s homebred Dice Dice Baby turn a pocket trip into a 1:53.2 score over Thats A Huge Beach. Roger Plante Jr. drove the 7-year-old Rockincam-Miss Reba mare, who paid $14.00 to win, for trainer William Cox.
 
WE’RE IN THE MONEY: A Pick-5 carryover of $2,946.52 attracted nearly triple that amount in new money, and a single winning ticket of 6/5/6/6/7 returned $10,396.25. After the Jackpot Hi-5 had multiple winners, the carryover for that wager has grown to $8,190.75 for Monday’s (April 7) 10th race.
 
Rosecroft Raceway hosts live harness racing every Monday and Wednesday through April; nightly first post is 7;15 p.m. (EDT). For more information, including free past performance pages, race replays, and The Players’ Guide tip sheet, visit www.rosecroft.com.
