Swan Chase narrowly defeated Pass The Vape and Lane Of Stone in the Tuesday (Jan. 12) featured $22,500 Open Trot at Miami Valley. The 1:53.4 clocking was the quickest of the eight-day old 2021 meet thus far.

The winner was on top at the quarter-mile marker, but yielded to last week’s winner Workinitonbroadway shortly thereafter. A first-over bid by Pass The Vape had Swan Chase pinned in the pocket when the full 10-horse field reached the three-quarter beam, but driver Trace Tetrick found room coming off the final bend and assumed command early in the stretch. From there it was up to the seven-year-old son of Swan For All to hold off the persistent Pass The Vape, which he accomplished.

The victory was the 30th of Swan Chase’s career and pushed his earnings to $547,517. Luis Quevedo trains the victor for owner John Barnard.

Four divisions of first-leg action in an $8,000 Claim To Fame series for pacing males also went postward, as did a pair of divisions for $12,500 mares in a similar series.

Believeinthespirit (Dan Noble) won the quickest split for the $8,000 hopefuls by stopping the clock in 1:53.4 and returning $5.60 to win. Other winners were Gallery Opening (Noble, 1:54, $10), Tyber Tyke (Tetrick, 1:54.2, $6.20) and Cool Like That (Page, 1:55, $10.60). A total of nine of the 40 combatants were claimed from the initial leg, including Believeinthespirit and Gallery Opening.

Bellini Seelster (Josh Sutton) captured the fastest division of $12,500 ‘girls’ races in 1:54.2, returning $2.60 as the heavy favorite. Glenfame Bronte N (William Mann, 1:55.1, $20) copped the other division. Bellini Seelster, a winner of eight of her last nine races was the only mare collared via the claim box among the distaffers.

Racing resumes at Miami Valley on Friday afternoon (Jan. 15) with a 4:05 p.m. (EST) post time.

(Miami Valley Raceway)