The first of seven Claim To Fame Series championships that will be decided in the coming days was contested Friday night (January 25) at Miami Valley Raceway.
RHP made it “seven straight in the Buckeye State” when he wired the field of finalists in the $12,500 claiming split for male pacers. Owner, trainer and driver Brady Galliers proved to be an astute pin-hooker as well, winning the $25,000 event and recouping the majority of the $16,300 he plucked down to claim the winner just last week.
Galliers set sail from the get-go with the 6-5 favourite, putting RHP through fractions of :26.4, :54.2 and 1:22 before sealing the deal by equaling the five-year-old son of Dali’s lifetime mark of 1:51.2. Hezabluechipboy N (Dan Noble) tried valiantly to close in the stretch but couldn’t collar the razor sharp RHP. Stonehouse Adam (Chris Page) was best of the rest.
A race later, Colonys Best (Mike Oosting) did RHP one better. Patricia Brewer’s seven-year-old Art Colony gelding won for the eighth straight time despite taking another step up the claiming ladder. Colonys Best’s streak started at Hollywood Dayton Raceway in $5,000 claimers and has advanced through the $6,500, $8,000, $10,000 and now $12,500 ranks unscathed.
The $25,000 Mares Open Pace also went postward on the program with the youngest entrant, JBs Shooting Star (Simon Allard), scoring an upset over Zoe Ellasen (Trace Tetrick) and Feelin Red Hot (Chris Page) in 1:53. The winning four-year-old daughter of Straight Shooting was content to sit fifth during the first three-quarters before unleashing an impressive three-wide stretch rally to produce the mild 8-1 upset. Jace Sundeen trains JBs Shooting Star for owner John Barnard of Miami, Florida.
(Miami Valley Raceway)