Sky Mesa, who appeared to be heading for a place finish when his lead vanished in the stretch, reached down and found more at the last moment to hang on and capture Tuesday’s $27,800 championship of the Valentowner Pace

for three-year-old colts and geldings.

Sky Mesa used a quarter-pole move to take the lead, a position driver Eric Ledford projected as the most comfortable for him.

“He likes to be in front or at least real close to the lead,” Ledford said. “The track today is a little deep and cuppy, so maybe his speed was surprising, but his connections told me they thought he was ready for a 1:52 mile.”

As Sky Mesa led the field through the lane, Zipnthruthehall shot the Lightning Lane and gobbled up the deficit, drawing even and appearing to Ledford to go by.

“That horse actually got by me in the stretch,” Ledford said. “I was ready to offer my congratulations to the winner, but we fought back.”

With a final lunge, Sky Mesa poked his nose in front and prevailed in 1:52.2. Zipnthruthehall, who easily won two series eliminations, had to settle for second, with Smile A Little a rallying third. Jerry Silverman trains Sky Mesa, a Western Hanover-Savannah Sky gelding, for Marvin Rounick.

The victory was Ledford’s second on the card; the first was even more historic, as his win in the fourth race with Spring Again lifted the 39-year-old reinsman over $50 million in career purses.

In the $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot, Jesses Messenger made it three straight - including a victory in last year’s Ohio Sires Stakes Championship - when she scored in 1:55.3 for Brett Miller. The first-over BVs Sister raced well for second, while Caviar Forthe Lady rallied for show.

Kent Sherman trains Jesses Messenger, a four-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Laser Message who surpassed $300,000 in lifetime earnings, for Daryl Sherman. It was one of four wins on the 15-race card for Miller.

(The Meadows)