Although Scioto Downs' card of racing for this Saturday (September 12) will be highlighting top Ohio Sire Stakes performers, one of the sport's sharpest older competitors will also garner quite a bit of attention.
Ohio’s best night of racing, Super Night, will be held at Scioto on Saturday. Eight $225,000 Ohio Sire Stakes finals for two and three-year-olds of both sexes and gaits (Races 4 - 11) will anchor the card.
State Treasurer will headline the 10-horse $225,000 Jim Ewart Memorial Pace. The six-year-old son of Real Desire won the Canadian Pacing Derby at Mohawk Racetrack in 1:47.4 last week and is the 7-5 morning line favourite for the Ewart. David Miller is set to drive.
Nine other pacers, including 2015 Gene Riegle Memorial winner Mykindachip (to be driven by Jason Brewer), 2014 Little Brown Jug winner Limelight Beach (Chris Page), 2015 Graduate final winner Doo Wop Hanover (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) and 2015 Prix D’Ete winner All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley) are also set to start.
Other races on tap for the evening include the $100,000 Sam ‘Chip’ Noble III Memorial Trot, the $40,000 Ryder Steck Memorial Pace and a pair of $30,000 Open Paces.
Before the first race even starts, there will be a plethora of activities for fans to enjoy. A driver autograph session will start at 5:30 p.m. down by the winner’s circle and a special Man vs. Horse race, with 1988 Olympic gold medalist Butch Reynolds, will be at 6 p.m. A 50/50 raffle will be held trackside to benefit the Butch Reynolds Care for Kids Foundation (must be 18-plus to purchase and participate in the raffle).
Other happenings at the track include receiving a logoed gift when you buy a live racing program and driver interviews and t-shirt tosses after each winner’s circle presentation.
In the breezeway between the clubhouse and racino a fundraiser will take place all night long for longtime driver Brad Hanners, who was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma and is preparing to begin treatment at The Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital.
Saturday evening will cap an exciting 2015 Scioto Downs summer meet, in which 95 days of racing were held for more than $15 million in purses.
first-race post time of 6:30 p.m.
(With files from Scioto Downs)