Jailhouse Sam was crowned champion of the annual Robert J. Brown Memorial trotting series on Sunday afternoon at Miami Valley Raceway.

Although trainer-driver Hugh ‘Sandy’ Beatty believes Jailhouse Sam’s best races may come from off cover trips, he made a last second decision to point him directly to the front when the starting gate swung open in this $17,500 final.

A homebred of owner Casey Clemens, the three-year-old Victory Sam-Jailhouse Broad gelding sailed through fractions of :28.1, :58.2 and 1:27.4 before tacking on a final panel in :28.4 to hold off fast-closing Goldfinger (Dan Noble) in 1:56.3. Deweyknowigotit (Derek Watiker) parlayed a pocket trip into a third place finish.

“This colt made a little over $50,000 last year including winning the $25,000 Ohio Fairs Final at Dayton Raceway,” said Beatty after the race, “so we have high hopes for him this year. His next start will be in the first leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes right here at Miami Valley next Monday (May 1).”

“I’m really pleased to win this race honouring R. J. Brown,” Beatty related. “My parents were great friends with ‘Skeeter’ and he was an outstanding Ohio horseman. It doesn’t hurt that his colours were blue like mine, either, so the commemorative blanket will come in handy.”

(Miami Valley Raceway)