Driver Chris Page worked out a perfect pocket trip for Warraweeforlaura, who responded with a solid effort to take the co-featured $25,000 condition claiming pace at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway on Friday, Dec. 5.
The action was early and often when the wings of the starting gate folded, with three horses sticking a nose ahead in the first three-eighths of the mile. Bars And Notes (Trace Tetrick) was wide in the first quarter, which came and went in :27. A lack of pressure allowed the favoured leader to get a brief breather with a :28.2 second panel. Fly High Cruiser (Brett Miller) went first-up and pressured Bars And Notes at the three-quarters in 1:22.4. But Page had a handful of Warraweeforlaura and was able to unleash the four-year-old gelding in the passing lane and he sprinted clear of the leader to equal his lifetime mark in 1:51.1. Ez Spree (David Miller) was flying late for second, finishing three-quarters of a length behind the winner, while Bars And Notes held on for third.
Warraweeforlaura is trained by Ron Burke for Pennsylvania owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phillip Collura. The win was the sixth of the season in 22 starts for Warraweeforlaura, a son of All Bets Off out of Allegory.
In the matching co-feature, driver Trevor Smith had Mctorious on his toes at the start and received the first call. The favourite, Who Dey Nation (Trace Tetrick), was wide in the opening quarter of :26.4 and was forced to go on to the front, putting Mctorious into the pocket. The drivers were content with their positions and the lack of a real challenge allowed Who Dey Nation a comfortable :56.2 half. As they straightened up down the backstretch, Smith and Mctorious were forced out of the pocket thanks to a move by Draw Off (Pat Malloy Jr.). Within a few strides, Mctorious cleared to the front and passed the three-quarters in 1:24.1. The leader was under wraps and cruised to a 3-1/4-length win in 1:51.4. Who Dey Nation was second and Fear The Madness (Austin Hanners) completed the top three.
Mctorious, a five-year-old Mcardle-So Rocked gelding, is trained by Jeff Smith for the Ohio partnership of John Van Horn and the Down The Lane Stables. The win was his second in a row and fifth of the season from 23 starts.
The Saturday, Dec. 6 card will feature the Ohio Harness Horseman’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 USD. Post time is 4 p.m.
(With files from Dayton Raceway; photo of Warraweeforlaura winning on Dec. 5)