Trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. and owner Odds On Racing swept the Fillies and Mares Open Paces via wins with Hey Hey Mama and Strong Poison on Thursday, Dec. 4 at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway.
Luke Hanners gave Hey Hey Mama a pocket trip to win the $38,889 Fillies and Mares Open Pace. Fearless Ginger (Chris Page) hustled off the gate and grabbed control, putting Hey Hey Mama in the two-hole at the opening quarter in :27.3. As the field of nine passed the stands for the first time, Wild Rosa (Tyler Smith) pulled out and started the outer flow before the half-mile station in :57. Fearless Ginger and Wild Rosa picked up the pace past that point, racing in tandem down the backside and hitting the three-quarters in 1:24.4. Hey Hey Mama sat patiently in the pocket and pounced with a passing lane move to score the one-length win over Fearless Ginger in 1:52.2. Side Piece (Trace Tetrick) was third.
Hey Hey Mama has defeated Dayton Open rivals in four of her last five starts and is now 20-for-69 lifetime. Morgan and Odds On Racing share ownership in the five-year-old Downbytheseaside-Rolluptherim mare. The win price was $8.40.
Strong Poison (Chris Page) was a gate-to-wire winner in the $33,333 Fillies and Mares Open II Pace. A pair of Morgan trainees battled for the early lead before Sarasota Hanover (Luke Hanners) elected to yield to stablemate Strong Poison before the quarter in :28.1. The field raced single file through another :28.1 panel to the half in :56.2. Lyin Eyes (Josh Sutton) was the first to pull, angling out on the paddock turn, but Strong Poison had opened up 3-1/2 lengths on his foes at the three-quarters in 1:24.1. Strong Poison was then able to cruise home in 1:53 to record the 3-1/2-length win over Lyin Eyes. Celebrate Me Home (Austin Hanners) nipped Jules Hill (Brett Miller) at the line for third.
The winning Always B Miki-Fiyonce mare had been off since a third-place effort on Oct. 30. Strong Poison, a career winner of 21 races and $1.27 million during 61-start career, is owned exclusively by Odds On Racing. She paid $6.60 to win.
Morgan also won with Bargain ($3.80), who split his two Open victories, as part of a triple on the card. The conditioner has 227 wins in 1,237 starts this season.
There were several big win payouts during the evening, making for an average win ticket of $24.90 on the 14-race card.
Page had another big night with four trips to the winner’s circle.
Racing resumes on Friday at Dayton Raceway with a 4 p.m. first post. Saturday’s card will feature the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association’s annual Charity Night, with 10 Dayton-area charities being teamed up with local horses to race for a total of $32,000.
(With files from Dayton Raceway)