Driver Chris Page and trainer Ron Burke teamed to win two of the three $136,986 pacing divisions in the Ohio Sires Stakes Gray Championships on Friday, Sept. 26 at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway. The Gray Championships serve as the Ohio Sires Stakes consolations.

Page drove Burke stablemates Sunonmybuns and Skull N Crossbones to victory in their respective divisions.

Sunonmybuns won the sophomore filly pace division in a lifetime-best 1:53. In third place entering the final stretch, she used a late surge to win. Sea Her Rule (Luke Hanners) took the lead off the gate and was in front at the quarter pole in :26.4. Odds On Sue (Dexter Dunn) moved first-up and into the lead going to the :55.1 half and was in front at the three-quarter mark in 1:24. As the field entered the final stretch, Sunonmybuns took the passing lane and edged Sea Her Rule by half a length. Downthejerseyshore (Austin Hanners) was third. A Downbytheseaside-Santa Fe Yankee filly, Sunonmybuns is owned by Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. She has hit the board in 14 of 19 seasonal starts with four wins. 

In seventh place and two lengths back of leader Fires Champ (Cameron McCown) at the 1:23.1 three-quarter pole, Skull N Crossbones rallied to win the division for freshman colt pacers in 1:53.4 for his first career victory. Skull N Crossbones was in sixth place as the field crossed the first two calls in fractions of :26 and :54. Continuing to work through traffic on the outside in a tightly compacted field, the Downbytheseaside-Jolly Miss Molly colt dove inside of Fires Champ down the final stretch and won by half a length over Odds On Sugar (Dexter Dunn) with Sunnys In The Sea (Trevor Smith) in third. Owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Country Club Acres, and Joe Sbrocco, Skull N Crossbones broke his maiden in his eighth career start.

Ima Beach Girl and driver Dexter Dunn took the freshman filly pace division in 1:53 with Shes Lit (Tyler Smith) in second and Lil Keisha (Chris Page) in third. Shes Lit led at the quarter pole in :27.2, but Ima Beach Girl went out in front going to the half and led the rest of the way in fractions of :56.1 and 1:24.3 en route to her first career win. The Downbytheseaside-Tea Pot Hanover filly is trained by Sam Schillaci for owners Schillaci Stables, John Manning, and Sam Bova Racing. She has hit the board in four of eight seasonal starts.

Dexter Dunn also won two of the four trotting divisions, guiding Travel Nurse and Countryofmars to victories.

Travel Nurse won the sophomore filly trot division in wire-to-wire fashion in a lifetime-best 1:54.4. After leaving from post four, the Enterprise-Poster Pin Up filly recorded fractions of :28.1, :56.4 and 1:25.1 and finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Sienna Sunrise (Chris Page). Triump Over You (Aaron Merriman) was third. The win was the second of the season in 15 starts for Travel Nurse. She is trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. for owner Joyce A McClelland Stable.

Third at the quarter pole, Countryofmars took the lead going to the half and led the rest of the way in the sophomore colt trot division, winning in a lifetime-best 1:55. Second-place Rose Run Alex (Chris Page) was three-quarters of a length back while Dublins Angel (Aaron Merriman) finished third. Rose Run Alex led the way at the quarter mark in :27.4 before Countryofmars moved first-up and into the front to the :56.4 half. Countryofmars built a lead of 1-1/2 lengths at the three-quarter pole with a fraction of 1:25.4 en route to the victory. The Marseille-Pinecountry gelding is trained by Jason Borowski for owners James and Patty Borowski. He has earned his three career wins this year through 16 seasonal starts.

Soulful Saul and driver Brett Miller topped the division of freshman colts in a lifetime-best 1:53.3. The Ready For Moni-Celebrity Obsesion gelding rallied from sixth place at the halfway mark to edge Tom Largo (Chris Lems) by a nose. Where Theres Smoke (Sam Widger) led the field past the first fractions of :27 and :55.3. Tom Largo moved first-up and into the lead going to the 1:24.3 three-quarters. On the outside, Soulful Saul continued to reel in Tom Largo down the final stretch en route to the photo-finish victory. Grape Crush (Chris Page) was third. Soulful Saul is trained by Steve Carter for Jay Mossbarger, Peggy Carter and Philip Skinner. He has hit the board in nine of 13 seasonal starts with four wins.

Toms Babe (Jeremy Smith) led at all three calls in fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:26.1, but Seven Lick Range and Tyler Smith used a late surge on the outside down the stretch to win the division for freshman filly trotters in 1:55.4. Toms Babe finished a length back in second followed by Divvy It Up (Brett Miller) in third. The win was the first in nine tries for Seven Lick Range, who was third at the quarter and halfway marks. The In Range-Radiant Beam filly is trained by Miles Wollam for owner Woodland Ridge Farm. 

Friday night's card included a $38,356 Open Handicap Pace, won by Wicked Character and Chris Page. When the gates wings folded, Kayne Kauffman hustled the longshot Twin B Seamonster for the lead. Wicked Character, the 2023 Ohio Sires Stakes three-year-old colt pace champion, was quick to challenge at the quarter in :27.1. Wicked Character took over as the field past the grandstand for the first time. The 1-5 bettors' choice, Celtic Spirit N (Tony Hall), was parked in second, Twin B Seamonster was third on the rail and Mufferaw Joe (Dexter Dunn) parked in fourth at the half in :55.1. The top four remained unchanged past the three-quarters in 1:22.2. Then the field of nine straightened for the wire and Wicked Character used a :28.1 final quarter to draw clear with Celtic Spirit N 1-1/4 lengths behind in second. A closing Joelsyy Hanover (Sam Widger) passed Mufferaw Joe for third.

Wicked Character, a five-year-old son on Yankee Cruiser and Riley Character, won for the seventh time this season in 28 starts and 20th time during his career, putting his earnings over $580,000. He is trained by Ron Burke and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Winterwood Farm.

Saturday’s $3.6 million USD card will feature the four $250,000 USD Dayton Derbies and eight Ohio Sire Stakes Scarlet Championships. Seven of the divisions have a purse of $300,000 USD, while the purse for the sophomore colt pace division is $400,000 USD since there was no consolation in that division on Friday. The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association will provide live-streaming coverage as part of its “Saturday Night at the Races” program on the association's YouTube channel and Facebook page as well as harnessracingohio.com. Post time for Saturday will be 6:30 p.m.

(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association & Dayton Raceway; photo of Sunonmybuns winning on Sept. 26)