Janet Davis vaulted into a joint third place in the Ocean Downs training standings after scoring a hat trick on the 12-race program on Thursday, June 13.

Davis kicked off her training triple in the fourth race, a $10,274 conditioned pace, with Fast Chat ($8.40). With Eric Davis in the bike, the son of Well Said yielded for a pocket ride behind 4-5 favourite Cult Classic before emerging off the home turn and dueling down the pacesetter to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.2. Janet and Eric Davis teamed up again to win the fifth, a $6,489-10,274 claiming handicap pace, with American Rock ($16.40; pictured above). The 12-year-old likewise parlayed a pocket trip into victory, lunging past pacesetter Moneyorroses in deep stretch to win by a half length in 1:56.4.

Davis completed her training hat trick in the finale, an Ocean Club Amateur Drivers event, when 19-1 long shot Ohhloooookatchuuuu ($41.80) and Steven Robinson rated a 1:00 first half before digging in to turn aside challenges from Hey Siri and 3-5 favourite Street Beats to win in 1:59.4.

American Rock and Ohhloooookatchuuuu also gave Davis two wins as an owner on the program.

With eight days of the 2024 Ocean Downs meet completed, John Wagner and Michael Hall top the training table with six wins apiece; Davis' three wins on Thursday give her four on the meet, putting her in a share of third with Stacey McLenaghan and Darren Olsen.

Live harness racing returns to Ocean Downs with a 12-race card slated for Sunday, June 16; first post is 7:05 p.m. EDT.

Ocean Downs announces summer late closers

Ocean Downs will offer a quartet of late-closing series — two for two-year-olds and two for claiming pacers — through the balance of its 2024 meeting.

The Bucky Gray Jr. Memorial Pace and the Tom Cooke Memorial Trot are open to two-year-olds (Maryland Sire Stakes or Race Fund-eligible horses preferred) and will span July. Both series consist of $7,500 USD and $8,500 USD preliminary legs leading to a $12,500 USD added final. Nominations, accompanied by a $100 USD fee per horse, are due to the Ocean Downs race office by July 1 for the Gray and July 2 for the Cooke.

Two claiming series are slated for the second half of the meet. The Diane 'Mum' Stevenson Memorial, for horses with a base claiming price of $7,500 USD, spans July 11 through Aug. 8; while the David Hill III Memorial, for horses with a base claiming price of $10,000 USD, will take place from Aug. 15 through Sept. 5. Both series offer three preliminary legs and a final, with progressively higher purses and claiming prices in each leg. To take part in these series, horsepeople must pay a $250 USD declaration fee in conjunction with a given horse's first start in the series; no nomination prior to entry is necessary.

For more information, contact the Ocean Downs race office at 410-641-0600 ext. 3212.

(Ocean Downs)