Saturday, January 28 was quite a night at Miami Valley Raceway for driver Chris Page and trainer Daniel Maier. Page swept the co-features — a $34,500 ‘Claim To Fame’ series championship for $20,000 male pacers, as well as the weekly $22,000 Open I Pace. Maier, in his first month in Ohio, got his first win in the lucrative series final and the bonus of also sending out the place finisher.
Page sent Maier’s Savage Seelster alertly from an outside starting position behind the gate and found an early spot along the pylons in the blazing fast :26 opening panel. Shortly thereafter, as the pace slackened, he elected to ask Savage Seelster to attack, and he did so with purpose, as he cleared to the front before the :55.2 halfway station. A :27.4 third panel allowed Page to maintain a three-quarters of a length advantage through the 1:23.1 third quarter, followed by a :29 closing quarter to seal the deal in 1:52.1.
Claimed in each of the preliminary legs of the series, Savage Seelster raced for new owner Clinton Lugar in the championship and topped Mosee Terror (driven by Mike Oosting) and even-money favourite Perrito Caliente (Sam Widger). Maier plucked Mosee Terror out of the first leg of the series for owner Laurie Patistas. Savage Seelster returned $16.60 to win.
In the Open I, Page guided Angelo J Fra to his third straight win (moving up a class notch each time). Again, Page put the pedal to the metal as the wings sprung open, but was joined on his outside by My Buddy Ninkster (Tyler Smith). The winner briefly allowed his adversary to clear, but was right back out for the retake as the pair passed the quarter station in :26.3. Angelo J Fra made every other call a winning one, and paraded the field through middle fractions of :56 and 1:23.3 before sailing home an impressive 1:51.1 winner. My Buddy Ninkster held strong for second, while Fancy Creek Elusiv (Mike Oosting) got up for the show dough.
Angelo J Fra is a five-year-old son of The Panderosa, owned by Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and trained in Ohio by Kris Hinchcliff. He now sports 16 wins and $180,000 in earnings.
A $16,500 Open II Pace was captured by Lucky Lime (Kyle Ater) in 1:51.1 over Astreos Love (Andy Shetler) and Freedomformysoul (Kayne Kauffman). The eight-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding is owned by Kirk Nichols and is nearing the $300,000 earnings plateau with the triumph.
Racing will resume Sunday afternoon with a 2:05 p.m. matinee. Featured will be the $35,500 championship of the ‘Claim To Fame’ series for $30,000 claimers carded as the ninth race.
(Miami Valley Raceway)